Malfoy's desires
by Mlle Snape
Summary: Malfoy senior encounters someone that might spice up his dreary life. LM,OFC Chapter 17 is up! AU and for fun!
1. Chapter 1

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter one: The fundraiser.**

All names and placed associated to Harry Potter, belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

Lucius Malfoy stood next to minister Fudge, a smirk hanging on his mouth, as he listened to the inane speech he was giving to a reporter from the Daily Prophet. Lucius hated to attend these functions at the ministry, but his orders were to attend any and all of them.

He only wished Narcissa were still alive to help him out with his quest to find information on the Order and future developments at the ministry. She always did know how to milk the juiciest rumors and hear-says from the female heads of departments and their underlings. The way she'd cajole and skillfully extract even the tiniest bit of information was a sight to be seen. He had been proud of his wife in those moments... but that was no more. Lucius stifled a sigh before returning his attention to Fudge.

"We expect to raise quite a few galleons for the poor widows and orphans that this war has left in its passage. Some have been left bereft, without homes or any means to feed themselves. It is our responsibility to..." Fudge went on with his speech, not noticing how Lucius had quietly removed himself from his entourage.

Malfoy was bored out of his mind by now, listening to the outpouring of simpering, dimwitted condolences people offered to widows and widowers in attendances was more than he could endure. True, he had lost his wife six months ago in a botched attack in Hogsmead... but he was over it now and didn't need the constant reminders from the well-minded idiots that he crossed. Narcissa had been culled ruthlessly in an explosion at Mme Malkin's shop, one that had been planned to kill mostly students arriving to get their school uniforms.

Had he known that Narcissa was planning to go there that day, he would have stopped the ill-fated trip in an instant. But to his great chagrin, he never discussed the coming attacks with her and she left that morning without any knowledge of the coming trouble. The blast could be heard for miles, flames had erupted soon afterward, consuming all that was within the building. Everyone inside the shop had perished without exception... Mudbloods and their parents, as well as a few traitors to their kind, had been eliminated swiftly.

Their Lord had demanded that all families that was their own, be not allowed near the shop that day. Draco was not in the village, since he had gotten his school things the day before with his mother. What made Narcissa return to the village, he would never know.

"Lucius!" a low voice intoned next to his ear, getting the senior Malfoy's attention. He turned around to find himself almost face-to-face with a dour faced Hogwarts teacher.

His eyes flickered over the pale-faced man before he answered suavely. 'Severus... nice to see you here. Didn't know you were coming today. What brings you out of that den of yours?"

Snape sneered as he looked over his shoulder, 'Dumbledore dragged me here, saying it would be a good idea for me to fray with people. That old bugger seems to want me to meet people that could help the Order. Get visible, as it would seem. '

Lucius grinned without thinking. 'Poor Severus, still having to follow that old, dawdling mudblood lover. You have my sympathies!'

Snape groaned as he threaded his fingers through his hair to push it off his face. 'You can't believe the things I have to go through to keep him appeased.' He looked over his should again, a deep scowl marring his face. 'Guess I have to get back to his side; he's talking to Weasley senior now. See you later...'

Snape left him quietly, meandering his way through the throngs that were in attendance tonight. Malfoy chuckled to himself, happy that he wasn't the one chosen to run to that old fool at a moments notice. With a shrug of his shoulders, he moved off in the direction of the balcony a few feet away.

He walked elegantly toward the end, nodding to some wizards and witches, while murmuring vague greetings to others. He wasn't much company tonight; he knew that, so he isolated himself in a dark corner. He summoned an elf, demanding a Firewhiskey without another thought. After being served, he quietly looked over the crowd for potential candidates for his information gathering.

He spied a few people from the Wizengamot, as well as a few dignitaries from other wizarding bodies. None were of interest for now, but he'd talk to them later just to keep in touch. He saw Snape and Dumbledore talking to Weasley. He cringed at the thought that this buffoon was part of the ministry. Mind you, muggle relations weren't a top priority to anyone, but still... he was in charge of the branch for some unfathomable reason.

Snape moved over to whisper something to Dumbledore, letting Lucius see someone he hadn't noticed before. Whomever it was, stood tall and had a rather slim physique. His or her hood was up, covering the face, hiding their identity for the moment. Lucius waited patiently to see what would turn up from their conversation. The figure nodded to Weasley, before taking Dumbledore's hand for a quick handshake.

The old wizard's face beamed at the person, leaving Lucius perplexed about who it might be. Maybe he could get closer and get a quick look before he or she departed... because they were obviously not here for the proceedings. He started to walk toward the group, not quite noticing the wizards trying to get his attention. As he came close enough to get a good look, the figure raised their hand and removed the offending garment from their head.

Malfoy stopped walking and almost bumped into an elderly witch walking ahead of him. He gazed at the woman that had materialized before his eyes. She had long, dark brown hair, which curled gently at the ends. Her eyes were dark and topped with well-arched brows. A rather large smile, with a seductively pouty feel to them, adorned her face. Her skin was fair without a hint of make-up. To tell the truth, Lucius felt that she didn't need any of these female ploys to attract men. She was a lovely thing all on her own.

He came closer, eyeing the girl discretely as he came to the group with a smirk on his face. 'Dumbledore! Never thought you'd be here tonight. Nice of you to come by.'

Dumbledore simply turned to Malfoy with his hand extended and a gentle smile on his face. "Lucius, nice to see you too. Lovely evening for a fundraiser, don't you think?'

Lucius took his hand briefly, 'very good evening indeed. We've raised nearly fifty thousand galleons tonight for such a good cause. I'm happy you could join us since many of our orphaned children are attending Hogwarts. Hope they are adapting well after their loses?' Malfoy added to appear sympathetic to the cause.

"As well as possible I suppose. Time will tell how they will adapt to the their new family situations.' Albus finished with a note of sorrow. He turned to the rest of the group, 'you know most of us except one... may I introduce you to Miss Katherine Cardiff. She's a junior aide to Arthur here.'

Lucius turned his steely eyes toward the woman while extending his hand for his greetings. 'Miss Cardiff, Lucius Malfoy... at your service.'

The woman eyed him cautiously for a moment before reaching out to shake his hand. But instead of a handshake, he gallantly bowed his head and kissed the tips of her fingers, while keeping his eyes on her. A faint blush tinted her cheeks before she graced him with one of her stunning smiles. "Mr. Malfoy, it's an honor to meet you. I've heard of all the generous donations you have given to the ministry's appeals this year. Much good will arise from these donations. '

Lucius straightened up to smile to the woman. 'It's nothing I can assure you. We must all do our utmost to help those in need.' His demure speech didn't impress the audience, but no one begged to differ.

Weasley cleared his throat before turning to the girl. 'Would you like something to drink and eat, my dear? Since you have been quite busy tonight, I'm sure you haven't had time to dine yet.'

Katherine smirked at him. 'Well... no, I haven't eaten anything since lunch. I might do with a small snack, if you don't mind.'

Arthur put a hand on her shoulder. "Very good! Come with me and we'll find you some adequate sustenance. Good evening gentleman...' Arthur said with a smile and departed with the girl in tow.

Malfoy's eyes followed the couple as they went toward the buffet table near the entrance. He more than noticed the way the girl's hips swayed gently under her robes, giving him a glimpse at how graceful she might be without any robes to hide behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter two: The affront.**

All names and placed associated to Harry Potter, belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

Lucius left Dumbledore and Snape to their own devices, electing to keep a rather interested eye on the young woman who now stood near the end of the banquet table. She kept her undivided attention on her superior, nibbling thoughtfully as she followed the eldest Weasley's recommendations. They were soon joined by one another red-haired menace. Lucius tried to remember the lad's name; was it Bob, Bill... or some other inanely mugglish name.

The girl was gobbling up what the newcomer was saying, smiling at something he had said. Lucius frowned, wondering if something existed between the pair. The Weasley lad was a handsome specimen, but that earring he wore left something to be desired.

Malfoy kept his vigil up, wondering if he could start up some chat with the lovely witch. But to his profound regret, more wizards joined the talkative pair, obviously enjoying the fact that she had come to the ministry's shin-ding. Her impromptu visit had attracted the youngest wizards, all wanting to get her attention. He carefully tried to evaluate her age from his vantage point. From the way she talked, her facial expressions and so on, he could say she was in her late twenties or so.

The way she kept herself away from certain wizards, she seemingly had experienced some untoward attentions from some of them. Lucius smirked as he saw a few young men turn around pitifully, having had their advances firmly rebuked. She wasn't interested in any one of them, or so it seemed. _Perfect_! Lucius thought with smugness. He could credit her with some good taste.

'Mr. Malfoy... could I have a word with you?' The old witch asked at his elbow. Mrs. Marchbanks had crept up on him without notice, cornering him for lack of a better word. 'We have some unfinished business concerning that little event at Malfoy manor.'

Lucius glanced down his nose at the old bat from the Wizengamot, wishing she would disappear from his sight. "Mme Marchbanks! Lovely to see you again.' He said condescendingly with a look of utter boredom. No love was lost between the two and they never took the time to properly hide their feelings from anyone. 'What brings you out from your retirement home? Needing nappies for yourself, hmm?'

The old witch chuckled before taking her wand out. "Would you like to see them, my pet? Maybe you could even change it for me... '

Lucius was thoroughly disgusted by the proposal. "Never mind, old woman. I really don't need female company that desperately. And do keep that wand away from me; wouldn't want to get an eye poked out from your fumbling wand work.'

'Oh, Lucius! Do get stuffed, won't you?' She said wryly, keeping her wand in her hand. 'Now, back to my first question: When can I expect you in my offices? And this is not a kindly request.' Her gazed hardened perceptibly as she peered deeply into his gray eyes.

He felt the inkling of a mind search, but he shut off the perimeters of his mind to her obvious attempt at Legilimency. He almost scoffed at her effort. 'I'll come along tomorrow afternoon, if that is convenient for you.' He didn't want to go, but he had to keep his nose clean around this old battleaxe. Any whisper of wrongdoing on his part, would send her in a tear, calling a full enquiry with her beloved Wizengamot. Crazy old bitch...

She nodded with a smile spreading from ear to ear. 'I'll see you at one... sharp! Be there or you'll be hauled up by your pureblood _derriere_, my dear!' With a satisfied and smug smile, she turned on her heel and returned to Dumbledore's side.

Malfoy eyed her malevolently, a few invectives passing his lips in utter frustration. He would make sure that she was the first ministry official to be eliminated, come hell or high water!

'Tut, tut Mr. Malfoy! Such harsh words being uttered toward a lovely woman like her. Have you no shame?' The definitely female voice spoke behind his back.

He spun around, ready to tear apart the impertinent chit that dared speak to him so cavalierly. But as he started to speak, the words died within his throat, making him garble some unintelligible words before he stopped completely, paling considerably under the woman's dark green gaze.

'Mind rephrasing that, sir? I didn't get that last part...' she added with some unabashed mirth.

'Miss Cardiff... what an unexpected surprise. I didn't see you there.' Malfoy tried to compose himself quickly under the woman's amused eyes.

'Obviously, sir. I doubt that you would of used those rather colorful and explicit descriptions of Mrs. Marchbanks early demise, in a setting such as this.' Her eyes traveled across the room, where many ministry officials could be seen hobnobbing around.

Lucius studied the woman's profile as she looked around the room, getting the best view he had gotten for the night. She had unclasped her black cloak, revealing a little bit of the burgundy robes she wore under. A very discrete neckline could be seen, giving him a small taste of the silken skin that would lie below.

She turned back to face the blond haired man, catching him as his eyes strayed a little too insistently on her bust line. She rolled her eyes, thinking that men in general were only interested in one thing. She tugged the sides of her cloak tightly together, instantly getting back the man's attention.

'Hmm, it was nice seeing you again, sir. Have a good evening then...' She took a step away from him, believing that she had firmly dismissed him. But his hand had reached out and took her wrist to turn her back toward him.

'Miss Cardiff, leaving so soon? What's the rush? Is your husband waiting for you at home?' he asked coyly, wondering if she was already taken. Maybe that's why she had shot down every young wizard's advances.

She calmly took his hand off her wrist, rubbing it gently to remove all impressions his hand had left. 'I do work here, sir. Right now, I have to go back to my office and write out a report. If you don't mind, I'd rather finish my work early than having to undergo a juvenile enquiry into my personal life. Good evening, sir!' she finally said with an impatient tilt of her head.

She turned around without another look in his direction, finding her way out of the reception hall. Malfoy was slightly taken aback, if not rightly insulted by the little chit's arrogance. _Juvenile enquiry_... he huffed under his breath. He'd enquire about her in other ways. He hadn't acquired his notoriety without making friends along the way. They would find the information he wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter three: Another day, another party?**

All names and placed associated to Harry Potter, belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

Lucius Malfoy entered his study in a right mood. Another summons with his Master had left him painfully aware of the price of failure. His last attempt to reach the Department of Mysteries had yielded nothing whilst removing one active follower from their group. Yardley had been forewarned not to touch anything that didn't seem familiar, but the damn fool had gone ahead anyway. Of all the things he could of removed from the shelf... Lucius shook his head in disgust.

Poor sap never knew what hit him; they had to use the most strenuous scourgify charms to remove the bits and pieces from their hair and clothes afterward. But Lord Voldemort didn't sympathize with their plight as he turned his wand on each and every one of them. His _kindly_ reminder that failure was not an option highlighted this fact.

Lucius headed for his desk, taking a seat before rifling through the morning's owl letters. He quickly read through the pile until he came upon a small package. Lifting a brow, he studied it for a moment before taking his wand out. With a few passes of his wand, he deemed the package safe and opened it with a flick of his wand.

Inside the carefully wrapped package, he found a picture frame with a moving picture within and a handwritten note. Lucius grinned at the picture before reading the note that accompanied it. His grin stretched as his eyes followed the words.

'Miss Cardiff has quite the pedigree. Very nice, very nice indeed.' He whispered to himself, feeling quite interested by what he saw.

'Jasmine!' he bellowed, calling the elf to the room. With a sharp pop, the small being came to him in a deep bow.

'Master, what can I do for you?' she asked in a squeak.

'Draw my bath, Jasmine. Tonight I need to clean away my Master's touch.' he said dismissively. His eyes returned to the note and picture. 'Tomorrow, I'll be busy with other matters that don't involve Him.'

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Katherine stood against the doorframe of Arthur's office, eyeing him mutinously. 'I don't know why I should go to that wretched party. You know how I hate going to these things.'

Arthur looked up from the toaster he was examining, 'I would have gone myself, but our dear Minister decided that I had to go on a special fact finding mission this evening. God knows where he gets his information sometimes.' Arthur returned his attention to the toaster.

'Merlin's britches! Arthur... I swear, if Green and Garwood accost me one more time, I'm going to turn them into toads! Those two are just asking for trouble, if you ask me. Can't you have a talk with those two blokes... Maybe get them off my back?'

The senior Weasley chuckled warmly at her words. When had he become her surrogate father? "Come now, Katherine! I'm sure that a bright girl like you can make them understand the error of their ways.'

Katherine huffed at him, 'fine, don't help me. They haven't understood any of my messages up till now; what makes you they'll understand this time around?'

'Make your message crystal clear to them. Be blunt if you have to. They'll will get it this time.' Arthur turned the toaster around, poking and pushing all the buttons he could see. 'Be a good girl! You'll have fun, trust me. I hear that Bill will be there too.'

Arthur eyed her with some amusement. He knew that the young woman found her son attractive. And Bill had mentioned something about her being a luscious witch to behold. But Arthur hadn't mentioned any of this to Molly, since she would have tried to stronghold them into a date or meeting at the Burrow. He sighed under his breath; his wife was well meaning, but could knock the stuffing's out of anyone with her intentions. If she even sniffed the possibility of a permanent relation for one of her eldest sons, she'd turn the world on its axis to make it happen.

'Yea, have fun he says...' Katherine muttered under her breath. 'I'll go, but this is under protest. You'll owe me some days off next month.'

'Very well, Katherine. Just say when and I'll do what it takes to make it happen. Happy now?' He said with a small wink and a large fatherly grin.

Katherine crossed her arms over her chest, lips tightly pinched as she considered the offer. God, she hated these affairs. Even more so when she went unaccompanied; it seemed to attract the most obnoxious and lecherous wizards within the ministry.

'I hope this thing doesn't run too long. I want to be out of there by ten.' Katherine said through tight lips.

Arthur smiled up at her, knowing he had won this battle with her. Battle? No, not really. But Katherine never did things without it being well planned and calculated. She hated when things were loosely done and executed. Going to a ministry ball of any kind, fell low in her list of important things to do.

'It's just a presentation for the new wing at St-Mungo's. A very worthwhile endeavor, I can assure you. It shouldn't run too long.' he added quietly.

'Um, very well. I'll go, just to make you happy... Arthur-kin!' she dropped that last bit with a deadpan face, waiting for the reaction from the red-haired man.

Arthur got up with a jump. 'You little... imp! How dare you say that to my face? Only Molly is allowed to use that name.' he said in mock anger. He knew she was pulling his tail.

Katherine raise her arms to protect herself, 'Please! Don't hurt me. I meant no harm... Arthur-kin!' she said half-giggling as she backed away from the door, trying to make a hasty retreat.

'Katherine Cardiff, you are now in deep trouble! Come back here, this instant!' he bellowed as she turned, running away in a fit of giggles. She stopped running when she turned the corner, going toward the lifts. A small grin still hung on her lips as she thought about his pet name. She really liked Arthur, even if he did get obsessive about muggle objects. The hours he spent studying the wretched things, made her shake her head in disbelief.

She got on the lift, going down to the Atrium so she could floo home to change. The bloody party was tonight, to her greatest chagrin. She would dress appropriately of course, but wouldn't go with a light heart.

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Lucius stood at the small bar, slowly drinking his poison of choice. The amber liquid felt hot going down, but would soon afterward spread its warmth in the most delicious way.

He eyed the crowd lazily, wondering if any information would be discovered tonight. He doubted it, but orders were orders... A couple of young witches passed next to him, whispering excitedly to each other, as they eyed him in the most provocative way.

He simply smirked at them, raising a brow at such cheek. _Too young_, he thought lightly, without another glance in their direction. These young witches were becoming more brazen with every passing year. No matter... he'd find someone else to fill the void that Narcissa had left.

Finally, the object of his newfound interest entered the room. His heart started to pound heavily within his chest as his attention was fully drawn to the beautiful brunette. She was a dazzler, he had to admit to himself. He hadn't felt this excited by a conquest in years.

Her hair was swept up in a clever twist, leaving a few tendrils to frame her lovely face. Tonight she had opted for some make-up, to his greatest pleasure. Her full lips were deep crimson, slightly pouty as he remembered. Her eyes were rimmed in black, the lids colored in a dusky green tint. Her cheeks, high and well defined, had been gently kissed with some rose color. Very fetching, he thought to himself.

His eyes fell to her dress. It was a dark green affair with silver and gold trim, molding itself to her figure in graceful waves across her bust and hips. Lucius would have whistled if it were not completely out of character for him, not to mention so below his proper manners. He sighed instead, waiting for the moment he could actually talk to the young woman.


	4. Chapter 4

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter four: Another chance. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter, belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Katherine stood still near the entrance of the ballroom, eyes combing through the crowd for some sympathetic face. If Bill did show up, she would latch on to him for while. There was no other way of keeping those leeches, Green and Garwood, at bay. 

She didn't see Bill anywhere and this was leaving her no other choice but to start mingling with other ministry workers and dignitaries. With a sigh, she slowly walked over to a group from the magical law branch. She went to stand next Diane O'Keefe, a tall blond with a wicked sense of humor. Diane could always lift her spirits with the most amazing stories and salacious jokes.

They chatted a while, until she saw Garwood eyeing her from a short distance away. 'Merlin's knickers!' she said under her breath.

'What's wrong, Katherine?' Diane asked in a low voice.

'Garwood, at twelve o'clock.' she answered evenly.

Diane looked over her shoulder and caught the leer he was giving to her friend. 'Goodness... Hasn't he taken the hint yet? Didn't you tell him off ages ago?'

'Yes, but he still thinks he's God's gift to me. I think I'm going to hurl if he even gets close to me.' Katherine said in a low hiss. 'Disgusting little prat, can't even take no for an answer.'

'Want a diversion? I'll ask Derek to head him off.' her friend said as she wave to her current boyfriend. Derek took the hint and headed toward the girls.

'What do you need, my sweet? Another drink perhaps?' he asked in a very gallant fashion, taking her hand as if it were made of fine glass.

'Do be serious, Derek. Katherine needs some divine intervention, or in this case, you should fit the bill.' Diane said with a rather comical wink to her intended.

Derek was a very jovial man himself with a flare for the overly theatrical flourish. 'Oh, my love... how could you be so cruel to the one you profess to love? My heart quivers with angst.'

Katherine intervened at that moment, 'Derek... could you just get Garwood off my back for a little while? He started to give me the eye again.'

Derek looked over Diane's shoulder and saw the unblinking leer that Garwood was giving to his friend. 'Give me a second; I'll have a few words with his superior. Come with me Katherine. He wouldn't dare try anything near Cresswell.'

An hour later, she was free of Garwood for good. Mr. Cresswell, the Head of goblin liaison, was a rather serious type. He barely smiled or joked around. He took his job quite seriously. Derek had slipped him a few words pertaining to Garwood, which in turn had provoked Cresswell into action. Without further explanations, Garwood was sent off on a very unpleasant task. Katherine didn't get what it was, but at this point, anything that took him away from her was quite appreciated.

The evening continued without a hitch, until that feeling of being watched came over her again. Katherine stopped listening to the speech that was being given, so she could scope the area around her. But when the speeches had started, all lights had been dimmed, making her task that much more difficult.

After a few moments, she gave up on the idea. Too many people were around to notice anything out of the ordinary. She went back to listening to the present speaker, a certain Healer named Henrietta Hobson.

The speech was quite interesting until she felt a pair of hands grasp her around the waist. A chill went down her spine before a low voice whispered to her ear. 'Hello there, fancy seeing you here tonight.'

Katherine closed her eyes in utter disgust. Without looking over her shoulder, she hissed at the man, 'Green... you better remove those grubby hands away from me.'

The man chuckled near her ear, 'my dearest Katherine, you know I can't keep away from you. You own my heart, how could I not touch you?'

Katherine was getting a little hot under the collar by now, and wanted nothing else than exterminated this loathsome man. She slowly took her wand from her sleeve, her eyes darting around to see if she could get away with her promised threat. The coast seemed clear as she looked over her shoulder, while she placed her wand tip under her arm.

"Green, get a grip. I'm not interested in anything to do with you.' she said this with her most enticing smile. 'Get your paws off of me and you may live another day.'

Green gazed at her face, his eyes locked on her mouth. A large grin crept across his face as he pulled her into his arms. 'Ah... come on Katherine, you know we could be good for each other.' With that, one of his large hands clumsily grazed her breast.

Katherine's nose flared dangerously, focusing on the man's face until she spoke clearly in a hushed voice. 'You asked for this one...' A second later, Green was now a rather fat looking toad. With another flick of her wand, she expedited him to the first floor Atrium. The Atrium's fountain would be more exact.

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Lucius had watched the girl for the past twenty minutes. When the lights had been dimmed, he had taken a position near enough to be able to have a clear view of her face. As she listened intently to the speeches, he could look at her at his leisure. After a few minutes, he had taken a few steps closer, while managing to seem interested in what was being said up front. He gazed at her intently, until she could feel the weight of his stare.

When she started to look around for the source of her discomfort, he had merely turned his gaze away. He felt like a teenage boy trying to sneak a peek at the object of his fantasies. But his smile soon faded when he saw that buffoon come behind the girl, pulling her straight into his embrace.

He felt incensed by the gesture, feeling a mix of jealousy and something else. Lucius had dropped his position, turning on his heel to get behind the imbecile. He had intended to hex his pants off, but as he neared him, he suddenly disappeared from his sight.

The girl had turned around and had flicked her wand at the floor. Lucius had just enough time to see a toad disappear from sight. He blinked once to take the situation in, then started to laugh quietly. She had style and some nerve to do that inside the ministry, in a room full of officials.

She looked up at him, the hint of smile still on her lips as she shrugged a shoulder, seemingly not concerned by what she had done. She gave him a wink before turning her back on him.

_Definitely slytherin_, he thought to himself. His friend's information had been right about that. Malfoy couldn't stop himself from smiling all through the rest of the speeches, wondering what else she could accomplish when her mind was set.


	5. Chapter 5

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter five: Beware of the wand. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

The speeches were finally done, as was the unveiling ceremony. The rest of the evening was for mingling and drinks. But Katherine had had enough of this and just wanted to leave. Taking a quick glimpse at her watch, she noticed that she had another half hour to kill before leaving. 

Without another thought, she went to the balcony overlooking London's center core. She only wanted some fresh air to dissipate the headache she felt was coming along.

She went to one corner, leaned on the parapet and closed her eyes. Taking deep cleansing breaths, she felt the knot of tiredness melt away from her shoulders. The air was crisp this evening, making her shiver for a split second. But she didn't mind that since it was relatively quiet right now. Most guests had gone inside to escape from the chilling cold.

'Knut for your thoughts, Miss Cardiff.' a low whisper came from her side.

Katherine's eyes snapped open before looking over shoulder with some trepidation. Her eyes grew wide as her mouth opened to say something. 'Mr. Malfoy?'

He bowed his head to her and then returned her gaze with some amusement. 'At you service, Miss Cardiff.'

'What are you doing out here?' she asked rather bluntly.

He smirked before answering, 'probably the same thing as you... avoiding the unruly crowd inside.'

'Oh! I assumed you loved these affairs since you're always here when they have one.' Katherine said rather shrewdly.

'A man in my position has certain obligations to fulfill. Charitable donations aside, I have to show my solidarity with these causes. Hence my presence at these functions, Miss Cardiff.' he said this casually while fiddling with the clasps of his cloak.

'Well, that would explain your presence then... I guess.' she turned her gaze away from him, to look on into the distance. Another shiver ran along her spine, as the cold was getting a little more intense. She longed for her cloak right now.

Malfoy, being his usual gallant and suave self, took a step closer as he placed his cloak on the girl's shoulders. 'No use catching cold, Miss Cardiff... I'll lend you my cloak for now.' he murmured to her ear as his hands ran up and down her arms.

Katherine stiffened under the man's touch, not expecting such attention from a relative stranger. 'Mr. Malfoy, you shouldn't have done that. I can go inside and get my cloak in quick order.'

Lucius was still rubbing her arms to warm her up, getting the added bonus of being able to get a good whiff of her perfume. He inhaled deeply, savoring the delicate mix of floral and spicy hues within its formulation. It suited her well, he thought wistfully. 'Don't bother with that, Miss Cardiff. I assure you that the cold isn't bothering me.'

Katherine felt slightly uncomfortable now, whishing to end this little exchange in a rather isolated corner of the ministry. She turned to face him, her hands reaching up to remove the cloak. But he stopped her hands by placing his own over her cold fingers. 'Please, keep it for now. I promise to go back inside if I get too cold.'

Her eyes had strayed up to his face, feeling compelled to lose herself within his steel-gray ones. After what seemed like forever, she blinked at him, trying to get back her bearings. Her mouth felt dry as she tried to speak again.

'Very well then, Mr. Malfoy. But I'll be going in soon myself. I'll be leaving at ten as I promised to my department head.' she said in a sudden rush of words. She really needed to go. His nearness was making her feel nervous. Another shiver ran through her, but this time it had nothing to do with the weather.

'Understood, Miss Cardiff.' he whispered to her. His hands went back to her arms, stroking her gently through the fine wool of his cloak. 'You must be chilled to the bone... you're still shivering, my dear.'

She lowered her eyes, avoiding any direct eye contact with him. 'Just a bit, sir. Nothing that a warm bath can't alleviate.' The words slipped out before she could take them back. What a social _faux pas _she had just committed. _Why not just invite him over for a dip and some polite conversation, since you're at it_... she thought angrily to herself.

'Oh... that didn't sound right, not one bit. I'm so sorry, Mr. Malfoy. That came out without any real thought.' her cheeks were crimson by now. So much for keeping her cool around the VIPs. If Arthur ever heard of this, he'd scold her to no end.

He chuckled warmly as he took another step toward her. His hand came up, gently pressing her chin to tilt her face up. His eyes bored into hers with some hidden intent. 'Do not worry, I don't get offended that easily... Miss Cardiff.' he purred at her, enjoying how the surrounding lights reflected warmly within her eyes. She might be feeling embarrassed right now, but he was feeling something quite different.

Again, her mouth went dry as she gazed up at him. The warmth of his fingers on her face started to wreak havoc over her fading defenses. But her luck started to turn, when somewhere in the distance, a clock tower started to chime in the hour. Ten o'clock, she thought with some relief.

'Ten o'clock... time for me to leave.' she said with a definite note of relief in her voice.

He lowered his gaze for a moment, before looking at her again. 'Cinderella has to leave the ball.' he said with amusement. 'Wouldn't want you to turn into a pumpkin on such a lovely night.'

Katherine laughed gently, 'I believe that Cinderella's chariot turned back into a pumpkin at midnight. But we could use that idea in an alternate version of that story.' she laughed some more, feeling a bit less strained than before.

'Yes, I must agree with you. But I would change another little piece of that story.' he baited her with grin.

'What bit would you change?' she asked innocently.

'Well, the prince might give her the kiss that would annul the charm that her fairy god-mother had placed on her.' He eyed Katherine with smoldering eyes, his intentions quite clear right now.

'Oh!' she replied at a loss for words. 'That could be possible, but it would change most of the story right after that.'

'Yes, it would. But I rarely read children's literature anymore, so I wouldn't miss it much.' he stepped closer to her, their faces just a centimeter away from each other.

Their breaths mingled as their gazes locked one more time. 'Miss Cardiff... You'd better run away, or I might not be able to control myself any longer. Unless you desire to stay?'

Her mind went blank before his words meant anything inside her hazy mind. She gulped, 'Yes, I really do have to go, sir.' but she didn't move right away.

Lucius bent his head, touching his lips to hers with infinite gentleness. His hand came up to cup her nape, pulling her even closer into the embrace. He gently brushed his mouth over hers, feeling the softness and warmth that was her own.

Katherine's senses began to swim giddily as his lips and then his tongue, slowly initiated such pleasurable feelings in and around her mouth and lips. Merlin! Could this guy give a kiss! She felt helpless but thoroughly alive as her hands reached up to lie flat on his chest. She could feel the heat emanating through the few layers of clothing that covered his broad chest, making her feel a bit more randy than was necessary.

He pulled back from her, the fingers of his right hand coming up to stroke her bottom lip with sensuality. He took in the feverish light that now illuminated her eyes and the slightly swollen lips of a woman that had just been kissed. The feelings it stirred within him shot right through to his loins. But this was neither the place, nor time to act upon such feelings. As much as it pained him, he released her from his embrace, taking a step back to give her some space.

'Run along, Miss Cardiff. As I said before, if you don't leave now, I won't be able to stop myself.' he said, though his voice sounded so much huskier now.

Katherine snapped out of her haze and reached up to remove his cloak from her shoulders. 'Thank you for the cloak... ' She managed to say. 'Have a good evening.'

She gave him one last wondering look, before turning on her heel to enter the ballroom.

His gaze stayed on her departing figure until it disappeared within the crowd inside. He placed his cloak upon his shoulders, still thinking about the kiss he had just shared with the lovely Katherine. He could still smell her perfume wafting gently around him. Bringing up one side of his cloak, he sniffed it appreciatively, picking up the softly feminine aroma it now held. He smiled, thinking about ways he could meet with her again.

He lifted his chin proudly, pulling his shoulders back with some satisfaction. This had been a very interesting evening... very interesting, indeed.

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Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read the story to this point. Your reviews are more than welcome. Now, I'd like to ask you guys a small question. Should I end the story here, or continue on and maybe get a lemon out of this story? Maybe a little intrigue is more to your liking? Leave your suggestions within a review and I'll answer each and everyone.

Thanks again for your support!


	6. Chapter 6

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter six: The mission. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

'Basil!' the old muggle woman screamed at the top of her lungs. 'Basil... Help me!' She screamed again from the top of her dinning room table. 

'Clare! What are you on about? What's all that screaming _fer_?' Her husband bellowed from the second floor landing. His wife really could wake the dead with those infuriating screams of hers.

'Basil... it's the coal bin. It tried to bite me!' She hollered with fright. She eyed the enraged object as it seemingly tried to hop on the table, snapping its lid at her.

'Woman, are you completely daft?' Basil said as he came down the stairs. 'Bins don't bite, now do they?' But as he came off the last step, the infuriated metal container turned away from the frightened woman and started to hop toward the man. It snapped its lid like a large carnivorous beast.

Basil had just stepped into the room when the enchanted steel container made a grab for his leg. The man was still fast enough to remove his leg from harm's way and jumped over the cantankerous piece of ironwork to get himself to safety, next to his wife.

'What in bloody hell is that!' He shuddered under his breath.

'I don't know. I tried to pick up a few pieces of coal for the stove and it jumped up at me. The bloody thing nearly ripped my arm off when it caught my sleeve.' The muggle woman informed her husband in hushed tones. She lowered her voice to see if that would calm the agitated bin from hell.

'That's all nice, Claire. But what in the world are we supposed to do now? It'll attack again if we try to bolt out of the house.' Basil followed his wife's lead, almost whispering to her.

But as his wife started to speak again, two large cracks of sound startled them, rendering them speechless as the color drained from their faces.

'Blimey! What was that, Basil?' the muggle woman whispered anxiously to her husband, grabbing his arm for protection.

'I don't know... It almost sounded like two cars backfiring. But it came from the entrance, so that can't be right.' Basil's hazy blue eyes stared nervously at the open door.

Meanwhile, near the front door of the humble muggle home, two oddly dressed figures (well... odd for muggles) stood still as they peered around the room. They were listening for any telltale sounds of magical shifting inside the house. The woman slowly brought her index to her lips to signify to her male counterpart to stay silent.

She took a few steps toward the corridor, her feet silent and sure, happy she had put a cushioning charm on her feet. But then, all hell broke loose as the steel bin rounded the corner and angrily tried to lunge at the woman.

Katherine hopped out of the way, before she turned her wand on the snapping bit of metal. 'Incarcerous' she said calmly, as two strong lengths of rope unfurled themselves from the tip of her wand. The ropes caught the bin as it launched itself on the young wizard that was still standing near the door.

Jeffrey, the young wizard from the Obliviator's office, had looked quite shocked by the apparition. He had expected something that was inappropriate magical usage, but an enraged coal bin? His eyes darted from the snapping menace to the young witch from the Misuse of muggle artifacts branch. 'Is this what we were called for? An angry coal bin?'

Katherine grinned at him and nodded her head. 'This is what we were called for. You have to remember that this is a muggle house, Jeff. They have no idea what happened to rather regular looking bin. I wonder if they are somewhere inside the house?' Her eyes looked over the entrance.

Jeff eyed the bin with some disbelief, 'why anyone would do this to innocent muggles, is beyond me.' He walked around the restrained bin, though it was still struggling to take a bite out of the wizard's shin, and made his way to the first doorway he could see.

'They're here, Katherine.' He said in low tones, as not to frighten the scared couple, as they stood still on their tabletop.

Katherine walked over and looked inside the room. She gave Jeff a rather wicked wink, 'well, well, Mr. Obliviator! Now you get to show me how good you really are. You did bet five galleons with me, didn't you?'

Jeff rolled his eyes at her, remembering his boastful words. He had been merely trying to impress the young witch with his dazzling wand work, and how he could obliviate any muggle without any screams on their part. He really regretted his words right now... _big mouth_! He thought with some sadness. He really did want to impress Katherine and maybe get a date with her during the process.

'Yea, yea... I know what I said. But don't laugh too loud if I happen to fail, would you?' he muttered under his breath.

'I'd never dream of doing that to you, Jeff.' she said rather slyly. 'Come on now, do your thing and we can get back to the ministry before five.'

Jeffrey sighed as he composed himself, putting his most charming smile on his lips. He entered the dinning room slowly, eyeing the couple with a friendly air.

'Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard?' he said at first, satisfied that they only gasped at his presence.

'Allow me to present myself. Jeffrey Lane, from the ministry of Oblivi...' A sudden cough from behind him, made him change his words in mid-sentence. '...um, the ministry of defense.'

Jeff felt that this intervention was going to be like a lovely stroll through the park.

**Sorry… not much Malfoy in this bit, but he'll be present in the next chapter. Just wanted to set Katherine's character up, build up her background. Please read and review! Many thanks in advance.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter seven: Things that go bump? **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Katherine returned to the ministry a few galleons richer and a large smile adorning her face. Jeff apparated next to her a few seconds later, his face slightly scratched and his cloak hanging awkwardly from his shoulders. 

'In the name of Circe, what was that woman going on about? Did she really thing we were mad ax murderers? Gods!' Jeff huffed as he tried to untangle his cloak. The muggle woman, Mrs. Pritchard, had physically attacked Jeff when he innocently pointed his wand at her husband.

Katherine laid a hand on his shoulders, 'I told you, Jeff, they don't always understand the concept of magic wands and that wizards are not malevolent beings. You should have stunned them both before trying to obliviate them.'

Jeff huffed again, giving Katherine a very angry stare. 'Fine, next time I'll listen to your sage advice... if you happen to mention it BEFORE we enter a muggle home!'

'You're just sore because you lost the bet. I had explained before we left, the finer details of a mission such as this. Weren't you listening?' she answered back, before opening the office door with a bit more strength then was necessary.

They both heard something bumping sharply against the door, followed by the muffled oaths of a man that had been standing right behind it; some of it was rather graphic and gruesome. Katherine winced, wishing she had been just a bit more careful with the shove she had given the door.

Jeff looked at her, a small grin slowly appearing on his face. 'I do hope that was not Mr. Browning from accounting. Remember the last time you accidentally rammed him in the face? He promised that the next time it happened, he'd hex your hands together for the rest of the millennia.'

'Don't remind me... it was bad enough that I had to explain his injuries to that bloody Healer with the bad stutter. The bugger made me explain it again and again for his report.' Katherine took a deep breath and tried to push the door again, but with a lighter touch.

As she peered around the door, her eyes met a rather irate pair of steel-gray orbs. Her heart faltered, as if it had dropped to somewhere around her knees, before it uncomfortably bobbed back up. _Heaven help me_! She thought anxiously, _not him_!

Lucius Malfoy's fury was very evident, as was the deep groove upon his forehead, where the door had lodged itself momentarily. One hand was gingerly feeling his forehead; his other one was gently holding on to his… um… _family jewels_! 'In the name of bloody Merlin, woman! Watch where your going, you incompetent...'

But the rest of the sentence was abruptly stopped by a carefully placed nudge from the man's son. 'Father...' he warned him quietly. The boy was desperately trying to keep his mirth in check.

'Draco, if I need your assistance, I will ask for it. Now, be quiet before I...' Again his words were interrupted by an unlikely source. The man's house elf had started to bang its head on the side of the door.

'Bad Digby, bad Digby... didn't protect his Master from harm.' the poor beast was starting to wobble from the strenuous head bashing it was inflicting on itself. Katherine almost bent down to stop the guilt-ridden elf.

Katherine didn't know what to say, except for the obvious, 'I'm so sorry, Mr. Malfoy. I hadn't expected anyone to be behind the door.' Her face was flushed and she felt extremely embarrassed as she lowered her eyes. This was not going to look good in her dossier. She could almost see it: '_...this employee, almost maimed one of our most illustrious benefactors_.' Arthur was going to have a head hemorrhage over this.

Meanwhile, Lucius had taken the time to calm himself (barely...) and had even managed to paste a somewhat stiff smile on his face. If they had been anywhere else but the ministry, he would have hexed her to oblivion without a second thought.

'Miss Cardiff, do be careful the next time around. You could have easily ended my future as a procreator with that _majestic_ entrance of yours.' Lucius said between his clenched teeth, trying to be graceful in his present state of pain. His head was now a pounding mess of soreness that begged for some kind of relief… (Please don't ask what his…_cough_… jewels needed.)

Katherine and Jeff both flushed at the man's rather delicately worded lecture.

'I'm extremely sorry... and will be more careful next time, sir.' she reiterated quietly, taking a chance to look up at the irate wizard. He was still seething, but he had mastered his impulses for now.

'Very well!' he huffed at her and then gave his coldest glare to her partner. 'And who is this?' he asked peremptorily.

Katherine looked over her shoulder then gazed back at Malfoy. 'This is Jeffrey Lane from the Obliviators office. We just came back from a mission in Surrey.'

'Mr. Lane,' Malfoy nodded to him with a haughty look, 'pleased to meet you; though I believe the circumstances are rather not conducive for idle chit-chat.'

Lucius reached up to gently dab at his forehead, reassured that she hadn't drawn blood during the bloody mishap. 'Draco... follow me. We are going back to manor right away. I'll need some salve before my head turns to a nasty shade of purple.'

He had dropped his tone to speak to his obviously surprised son. Nodding to both Katherine and Jeff, he left in a flurry of billowing robes and cloak with his son in tow. (Lucius now sported a mild limp… _wink_)

Katherine watched the departing duo with some relief; until she felt the heavy stare her partner gave her. "I know, I know... Billingsworth had warned me months ago. I'm fully chastised and completely ashamed of my performance. Happy now?'

Jeff gave her a slight tap on the back before turning away with a satisfied smile. 'Guess nobody will hear about my first outing while in service, huh?'

Katherine glared at him, 'no, but if I even hear one word of this event in the cafeteria, you will pay dearly for your indiscretion. Understood?'

'It's crystal clear to me. Come along, we still have that report to write out.' he said gleefully with a wave of his hand.

'Bugger!' Katherine hissed under her breath as he left her side. Of all people to bump into, she had to get HIM on the nob. After that dreamy kiss he had given her during the ball, he'd surely have nothing to do with her anymore. Feeling quite sullen, she followed Jeff through the other door that led to her office.


	8. Chapter 8

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter eight: Jewels and other thoughts. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Draco turned away, a smirk firmly in place, as he thought of the rants and string of barely possible curses that had poured from his father's mouth when they entered the mansion. He hadn't heard that kind of talk in ages. 

Thinking about it, as he went to his room, the last time his father had been this passionate, was when his mum was alive. As he passed the door to his room, he closed it quietly and cast a silencing charm. He began to snicker at first, and then it turned to a wholehearted belly laugh. The face on his father at the ministry was forever branded in his mind.

The moment the door had caught his father's face and ... um, was worth a week's detention with Filch! As soon as the surprise element had waned, the rage he saw was classic Lucius at his best. Apart from the deep red welt on his forehead and his hands clutching his groin preciously, Draco thought he was going to see a grand exhibition of Death Eater rage.

But as soon as the girl with the _golden touch_ had peered around the door, the expected storm fizzled to almost nothing. To say that Draco had been surprised was an understatement. Gobsmacked was more like it.

When his father was in a better mood, he'd ask who the wench was. She was kind of pretty when he thought about it. But a pretty face had never influenced his father, never!

Meanwhile, Lucius was sitting by the fire grate in his private rooms. Nursing a large cognac in one hand and keeping the ice pack well positioned over his privates, he sighed with relief as the pounding was finally gone from his head. Draco had gone to fetch the salve and a small vial of pain reliever from his medicine cabinet.

Regretfully, the pain between his legs hadn't disappeared completely. He groaned as he shifted the ice pack at a different angle. Blasted girl! She almost halved his person with the dratted door. But the look of utter remorse and the way her lips pouted when she gleaned in from behind the door had cut his enraged diatribe.

He closed his eyes again, trying to recapture the exact moment when her eyes had gone wide with surprise when she'd seen whom she had assaulted. The rage had turned to near meekness on his part. Though he did say a few well-felt words of recrimination, his heart had started to pound deliciously within his chest.

But the feelings soon soured when he saw the young man that accompanied her. What was the name again? James, Jared or Jeffrey something or other... the name wasn't important as much as his presence near Katherine. The boy was barely out of puberty! What was the ministry doing anyway? Sending a boy to do a man's job... surely he couldn't be of much help?

He took another sip of cognac to appease his pain, which had diminished a little bit. He'd have to give it a visual inspection when he'd take a bath later on. Maybe a little anti-bruising salve would help his appendages heal faster?

He took the rest of his half-filled glass in one gulp and then stood up. He winced as his jewels settled down with gravity, forgetting to give them some support before moving. _Merlin's britches,_ he thought with misery. He'd go bathing now rather than later, taking the salve off the table as he limped toward the bathroom.

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Katherine sat on her sofa, reading the tome on advanced Transfiguration she had picked-up at the library. She eyed one particular charm that could change any metal container to a feather. With one cocked brow, she concentrated on the wand movement before taking out her own rather battered example.

It was 11 inches, ash with a unicorn hair core; very good for transfiguration, or so Mr. Ollivander had told her so long ago. She took it with a light grip, trying to put what she saw in the book into practice. 'Up, down, cross-swish to the right and... Damn it!' she uttered with frustration. She had turned the page to continue the movements, but someone had erased the rest of the instructions.

Pocketing her wand, she went to the floo and threw some powder inside. 'Mary Whitton...' she called out for her friend. Mary was a whiz at Transfiguration and could probably help her out.

Mary's head soon appeared within the flames. 'Hey Kathy! What's up?' she cheerfully said with a wide smile.

Katherine smirked at her friend, 'how many times do I have to tell you, don't call me Kathy! Haven't been Kathy since our fourth year...'

'Aren't we a bit grumpy tonight!' Mary rolled her eyes at her. 'Ok then, what's up with you? Did one of those Neanderthals try to get a free feel from you again?'

'No, they didn't. I'm having problems with a Transfig. charm. Can you come over for a second?' Katherine said dryly.

'Just give me a moment while I put Justin to bed.' Mary's head disappeared from the flames.

Katherine sat back down and eyed the offending book with irritation. Some people had no respect for books from the public library. It made her fume further more because the book was actually a very good reference for most wizards and witches.

Mary came through a moment later, her wand in one hand and her Transfiguration tomes tucked in the crook of her other arm. 'Now...' she bent down to kiss Katherine on both cheeks, 'what seems to be the problem here?'

Katherine put the book on the coffee table and pointed to the charm she wanted to attempt. 'That's what I'd like to do, but I'm lacking some instructions.' she turned the page to show the erased bit.

Mary put her glasses on and read the charm aloud a few times. 'Oh! I remember this one, look while I show you the exact movements.' She demonstrated it a couple of times for her friend. 'It's quite easy to reproduce actually.'

"Easy for you maybe... you did get the 'O' in Transfiguration, not me.' Katherine said while pulling her wand out. 'Do it again, but a little slower this time.'

'Very well, Katherine. Do you need the incantation too?' Mary asked with a grin, happy to be of help for something else than nappy changing.

Katherine looked over the instruction. 'I might be missing some of it, so give me the incantation too.'

Mary showed it to her with flourish as she transfigured the small tin can into a pure white feather. 'Now, you go for it.'

Katherine did as instructed, but the feather was rather a dirty white variation. 'Hmm, how come it doesn't look like yours, Mary?'

'Pureness of heart, I expect...' she teased her friend tongue-in-cheek.

'Pureness, my aunt's...' A knock at the window interrupted her, making her swivel toward the window in the sitting room. She eyed the clock on the mantle with some concern. Who would owl her so late in the evening?

She pulled the drapes away and saw a large barn owl tapping the window with insolence. 'I know already, keep your feathers on!' Katherine muttered at the insistent creature.

She opened the window and the owl flew to the table, stretching its leg at her, emitting a sharp hoot to show its impatience. Katherine took the parchment, still eyeing the insolent bird. 'What a badly mannered owl, you are... Don't expect any owl treats from me!' She snapped back with much irritation.

As she opened the letter, Mary crossed over and looked over her shoulder. 'Who sent you the owl? Not the ministry, I hope?'

'No, it's...' Katherine had just seen the signature at the bottom of the note and quickly shoved the parchment in her pocket. 'It's not from the ministry. I'll answer it later on.' She blushed under her friend's scrutiny.

'Oooh! A gallant invitation!' Mary rubbed her hands together, 'Give me the scoop, will you? Who's the lucky bloke?'

Katherine shook her head, 'I will not do anything of the kind. It's a private missive, just leave it at that, Mary!'

'But Kathy! How can you do that to your oldest mate? We've shared almost everything together... come on, just let me have a little peek. I shan't bother you anymore and leave peacefully.' She gave her friend a wicked wink.

'Goodnight, Mary! Do say hello to Graham for me.' Katherine said as she pushed her friend to the fire grate. 'I'll floo over this weekend, I promise.'

Mary grunted her disapproval, 'this is so unfair! Won't you at least tell me who it's from?' she begged Katherine with a well-practiced doe-eyed look. That usually got her husband going, but this was not Graham she was dealing with.

'No!' came the categorical response as she threw some floo powder in the grate. 'Goodnight, Mary!

Mary hung her head down and entered the green flames. 'So much for our deep friendship... you wicked girl! Goodnight...Kathy!' she added with a smirk and then disappeared.


	9. Chapter 9

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter nine: A little dancing perhaps? **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Mary had vanished a moment ago within the fire grate and Katherine stood there during long minutes, uncertain if she wanted to read the letter she had just gotten.

She stifled a sigh as she turned around to go back to her sofa. Taking the letter out of her pocket, she read it slowly until a small grin touched her lips. She read it again just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

'... I do realize that I'm asking you this favor at the last moment, but it would really be my pleasure to take you out this evening. Send back the owl with your reply. If you can't come, well, so be it.' The letter said, written in large and even script.

Katherine wondered what she could possibly lose if she did go. Summoning a quill and some ink, she wrote her reply on the bottom of the parchment and tied it to the owl's leg.

"No wonder you were so impatient. Your master seems to be in a right state, isn't he?' she said calmly while going to the window. 'Come on now, go!' she motioned the bird to the window she had just opened.

With a few flaps of its wings, the bird had gone out into the awaiting darkness. Katherine went to her bedroom and quickly got dressed. He said something elegant but not too formal. No robes either.

She settled on a black leather skirt that fell just above the knee, a ruby red silk blouse and a matching leather blazer. A pair of black high-heels completed the look nicely. She left her hair loose, brushing it vigorously to make it shine and fall straight down her back. A touch of make-up with a pass of her wand and she was ready to go.

She heard a loud crack from the living room and went to meet her date for the evening.

A loud whistle greeted her, 'Goodness, love! You are going to kill them with that look.' Bill came to her, bending his head down to kiss her cheek. 'I knew I could count on you. You are the best! Have I ever told you that?' He smiled broadly at her.

"No, I don't recall you ever saying that. But I'll take the compliment since it comes from you, Bill.' She gave him a hug. 'Let's get going and maybe you will tell me what I'm supposed to be doing there as we go along? Hmm?'

'Just one word... Mom!' Bill sighed dramatically. 'She wants me married in the worst way, so she organized this little rendezvous with some prominent un-married ladies. She said it was an impromptu get-together for singles in the region... HA!'

Katherine knew the Weasley matriarch and her well-meaning ways. She'd rather die than having one of her sons live life un-attached. To her, all her children should get married as soon as possible... making children so she could become a proud grand-mother!

'Very well, Bill. Just give the sign when you get into trouble over there. You know I won't be looking for myself anyway...' Katherine grinned maliciously at her beau for the evening. He was a handsome devil and she would have given him a serious go if he weren't such a flirt. He wasn't ready to settle down yet or so he had said on numerous occasions.

They had gone out once, but they soon realized that the chemistry wasn't there. So they stayed friends nonetheless, helping each other whenever they could. And this evening was one of these occasions. She'd serve as a physical buffer between Bill and any over-zealous female on the prowl. They would pretend to be lovers and get whomever off their backs. Bill had served Katherine in that capacity a few times as well.

They apparated to the restaurant/bar where they were to meet the rest of the guests. It was a well-to-do place called 'The Green Emerald'. It was tastefully decorated and the music wasn't too loud so conversations could be held without too much strain on one's vocal chords.

Bill led her to a group of twenty-something and thirty-ish wizards and witches, his hand slung casually around Katherine's waist. That's how they had settled on the routine; leave people guessing about their relationship.

They started to mingle, staying close to each other and exchanging smiles with the other participants. Soon, Bill spotted a girl that suited his tastes and left Katherine's side. If he needed help, he'd give her the signal.

The evening was going well for Katherine, chatting with a few people about their respective career's and whatnot, when she suddenly felt Bill's signal. She excused herself from the small group she had been talking with and started to look for the redhead.

Spotting him quickly, she saw the clingy female that had attached herself to his neck. Katherine thought she looked desperate and/or drunk. Putting on her sultriest smile, she went to Bill's side.

'Bill...' she purred, 'you've been neglecting me, my pet!' She gave him a come hither look that would make any wizard melt. 'Introduce us, love?' she said as she eyed the buxom blond that was trying to wash his ear with her tongue a few seconds earlier.

Bill reached up to remove the girl's arms around his neck, 'this is Penelope Madden. Penelope... this is Katherine Cardiff, a very dear friend of mine.'

Penelope was quite irritated by the interruption. Her little show to forcefully woo the handsome wizard, had just been properly squelched at the wrong moment.

'Miss Cardiff, pleasure.' she said between her clenched teeth and strained smile.

'Same here, Miss Madden. A pleasure...' Katherine purred back with maliciousness.

Bill stepped in to cut the non-verbal catfight that would probably ensue, grabbing Katherine possessively before giving her a rather invasive kiss. The meaning was not lost on the blond woman and she left their side in a huff.

After a moment, Bill stepped back and Katherine asked him. 'Is the coast clear?'

Bill eyed the blond as she left the restaurant without another look back. 'It's clear. Thanks, love... don't know how I could have persuaded her that I wasn't interested.'

'I know, but you could at least try to avert the situation in the first place.' She eyed him coolly, that disapproving look so reminiscent of his mother, hovering in her dark brown eyes.

'I understand that, but how can I see if she's a good prospect if I don't test her abilities?' he roguishly said while waggling his brows.

'Honestly, Bill! You are truly a menace to the females of this world...' she shook her head in disbelief. 'Let's dance and you can tell me if anyone else suited your fancy.'

Bill led her to the small dance floor, wrapping his arms her waist as she laid her head on his shoulder. They danced quietly for a song or two, until a wizard came to ask for a dance with Katherine.

Katherine got a strong whiff of liquor on the man's breath and quickly signaled Bill to come to her aid. Bill smiled to the man and said the young lady was taken for the night.

The man left with a disappointed look in his eye, but it couldn't be helped. Katherine abhorred drunken men in general. Their hands were usually too busy trying to find a way to feel her up when she wasn't really interested.

Bill took her in his arms again, 'Dance some more? I haven't seen anyone else that could tickle my fancy.'

Katherine nodded and let him lead her through a few more dances. But Bill was feeling a bit more naughty than usual and started to nuzzle her neck for show. Katherine giggled as he blew softly behind her ear, knowing that he was doing it intentionally.

"Bill Weasley! You are playing with fire and you know it too.' She reached up to run her fingers through his hair (for show of course...) and 'accidentally' pulled one of his locks rather sharply.

'Ouch! He breathed in her ear, 'that hurts! Is that your answer to my teasing?' he whispered daringly.

'What do you think, Mr. Hot-shot Code-breaker!' Katherine dared him with a wink as she pulled her head away from his chest.

'Are you daring me, Miss Muggle-defender-of-the-world?' he bit back with fake anger.

'I guess I am, Billy-kins!' she said with a kitten smile.

Bill growled under his breath, 'you will pay for your insolence. En garde!' With that, his mouth swooped down to give her the most provocative kiss imaginable.

For anyone who didn't know the couple and their little arrangement, this seemed like a very hot and involved embrace. But as luck would have, someone had taken it at face value.

The man swaggered elegantly behind Katherine, coughing sharply to gain their attention.

Katherine heard the cough and pulled back from Bill, looking over her shoulder to find out who was being so rude. As she met the pair of brooding gray eyes, her face paled considerably under the man's close scrutiny.

'May I have this dance, Miss Cardiff?' Lucius Malfoy asked dryly, eyeing her dance partner with little else but contempt.

Bill answered before Katherine could even imagine what to say. 'Ah! Mr. Malfoy! So nice to meet you again.' Bill grinned at the older man with much amusement. "But I think we were about to leave. Weren't we, love?' he asked his dance partner.

Katherine could have kissed Bill for real at that very moment, happy for the diversion he was creating.' 'Yes, we were going. At the end of the dance, of course.'

Her feeble attempt to sidestep his invitation to dance was not lost on the senior Malfoy. "But I insist! I never got to dance with you the other night at the Ball.'

A faint blush colored her cheeks, 'that is true, sir. But I am quite tired now and would like to get back home. I need the rest after my day's work.'

"Tut, tut, Miss. Cardiff! Such a young woman as yourself, should have sufficient energy to satisfy my meager wish?' Lucius challenged her face on.

Bill felt the under-current and knew he wasn't privy to certain information about these two. He didn't know if he should take Katherine out of the restaurant without further question. 'I believe the lady is quite tired, sir. And I think...'

'Don't bother thinking young Weasley. This dance was promised to me and I will take the occasion that has been granted to me.' Lucius took hold of Katherine's wrist with little gentleness and then swung her around to his awaiting arms.

Bill watched silently as Malfoy twirled Katherine away from him, taking her to a different corner of the dance floor. '_Blimey_!' he thought to himself, _'what happened there?'_


	10. Chapter 10

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter ten: A wicked argument. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Katherine's eyes flashed dangerously up at Malfoy's face, deciding if she would hex or chew him out for taking her away from Bill's side. 'Would you please explain that little charade you gave for Bill's benefit? I don't recall having promised you any dance at the Ball the other evening.' 

Lucius stared at her without much warmth in his eyes, 'I should ask you the very same question, my dear. What were you doing with that... boy on the dance floor? He seemed to be giving you an oral hygiene check-up, for all to see.'

Katherine pinched her lips as she took the jib from Malfoy. 'That is something that couples do to show their fondness toward each other. Young couples I should say.'

Lucius nose flared lightly, not appreciating being called old or _passé_. 'Quite! Maybe we should be passing the hat for donations then? Maybe get you a room at the Three Broomsticks for the night?'

Katherine smirked at him, 'no need for that, sir. I do have my flat close by...' she flipped back at him with mischief. He almost sounded like her father... the great big git!

Lucius saw the smirk and it goaded him on. 'Are you that easy to bed, my dear lady? Ready to go off with any newcomer that asks?' He knew this was below the belt, but his little feeling of jealousy was getting a life of its own. He felt incensed that she could easily kiss someone else, apparently with as much feeling as she had shown him the other evening.

Katherine felt an angry lick of vengeance, streaking through her veins in the wink of an eye. How dare he accuse her of being such an easy mark? She was not a pushover or a slut! She was so angry with him, that she stomped her foot on his toes. "Watch your words, Malfoy! Or I'll have to scourgefy your mouth for you...'

He pulled away from her, hissing and sputtering a string of expletives as he felt the pain in his foot. 'You vindictive shrew! You have the nerve to assault me again? I should...'

'Spare me the threats; I've heard most of them already while on duty. And may I remind you that the first 'assault', as you call it, was entirely accidental. But then again, if you hadn't been standing stupidly behind a closed door...' she shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes at him.

'You... you...' Lucius was rapidly losing his temper again. This wench had the audacity to call him STUPID! 'You will regret your words, _mademoiselle!_'

Katherine waved her hand at him, 'been there, done that... Next contestant, please!' her cryptic muggle reference was quite lost on such a Pureblood. She smiled brightly at him with pure, unadulterated glee. 'I don't scare that easily, Mr. Malfoy. And I definitely won't accept your disparaging remarks on my moral values.'

Lucius snorted at her words, 'what morals? I haven't seen you do anything that a Knockturn Alley whore wouldn't do for a few Galleons. Don't flatter yourself... they do it much better!' His words hit their mark. He saw her face turn red with anger. The deadly glint in her eyes was a sight to be seen.

'You have just passed the barriers of good taste. So be it! You lousy...' the words she uttered would made a merchant marine blush. Without further ado, one of her hand's left her side, attempting to land a sound slap on the self-sufficient face of Lucius Malfoy.

To her amazement, he grabbed her wrist with much alacrity, stopping her from doing any damage. He shook his head at her, 'No, no, no, my dear. A proper lady does not strike out in public.'

Katherine suddenly realized that they were in a public place, as all eyes were turned toward them with a modicum of curiosity. 'Merlin's balls!' she hissed under her breath. Malfoy was a well know character in the wizarding world, and here she was, making a scene that was totally out of proportion. She felt like a proper ass right now.

Katherine took a deep breath, staring murderously at the blond demon. 'Well, if that is the case, a proper gentleman would not insult a lady in public either.' She wrenched her wrist away from his grasp. 'So why don't you shove off to Knockturn Alley and find yourself some female that could easily fill your requirements.'

He smiled dangerously at her, an odd glint coming to his eyes as he purred his next words. 'Why pay if I can get your services for free, as you demonstrated so well earlier on with _Monsieur_ Weasley?' He took her wrist again, pulling her tightly to his frame. 'You know, I'm not totally immune to your charms, my love.'

He claimed her lips with force, under the amused glances from certain wizards that were still eyeing the feuding couple. Katherine put up her balled fist on his chest, trying to push him off, but with little success. Her mind screamed with indignation as she felt his lips trying to punish her.

When he finally released her lips, they stung madly as her mouth hung open; gasping in some much needed air. Trying desperately to regain her composure (and some dignity...), she closed her eyes while willing herself to stay calm.

Lucius stared down at the girl with some regret. He hadn't intended on making such a spectacle of himself. But her well calculated taunts had pushed his buttons in the most basic way. He tried to still the urges that were now manifesting themselves, feeling every inch of the girl's body that was touching his. He took a step back from her, trying to diffuse the situation.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Weasley chap making his way through the dancers. He almost snarled at the interruption that would soon come.

Bill arrived behind Katherine, eyeing Malfoy with caution. He hadn't understood the whole argument, but he knew that she needed his friendly help right now. 'Katherine?' he asked her quietly.

She pulled away from Lucius, barely looking up at his face. She was still seething but had her anger in check. Without another word to Malfoy, she turned to Bill, 'take me home. I think I'll need a stiff drink after this.'

Bill nodded and took her into his arm for a side-along Apparition. After giving Malfoy a hard stare, they disappeared with a sharp crack.

They arrived at Katherine's flat a moment later, Bill still not understanding what had happened at the Green Emerald. But far be it from him to start questioning her about the details that had evaded him. Katherine took her wand out and cast a silencing charm on the room.

She let out an ear-piercing scream of frustration, 'Arrrgggh!' She went to her sofa and let herself plop down, grabbing a pillow to punch it senseless. 'Do you believe that man?' She finally let out like a howl.

Bill stood staring at her for a few minutes, wondering if he should sit next to her or remain standing. He knew she had a bad temper, but he had never seen her this mad before. Giving in to his more friendly side, he sat down and put an arm around her shoulders. She stiffened slightly under his touch but didn't brush him off.

'Mind telling me what happened back there?' He asked with a frown. 'I have a feeling that I missed something, somewhere...'

Katherine groaned but let herself lean into her friend's embrace. 'It's a long story, Bill. I'm not sure it even means anything...'

Bill gave her a weak smile, 'I have time to listen, you know. What are friends for?'

Katherine looked up into his handsome face, gauging if she should tell him about her earlier encounters with Mr. Malfoy. She finally shrugged off her hesitance and started to tell him her tale of a stolen kiss and banged up male pride.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Lucius apparated at his front door and strode in with an angry glint in his eyes. He walked stiffly to his study, throwing his cloak at the first elf that he saw. 'Get me a decanter of brandy and a large glass.' He barked at the poor creature, making it quiver with fright as she backed away to fetch what her master had asked for.

He pounded the door open and started to pace angrily near the large bay windows. Still feeling irked and frustrated by whole evening's debacle, he wished he could erase the bloody evening from his memory.

The elf soon returned with the tray that held the brandy, settling it on the low table next to her master's favorite chair. She poured a generous amount of the amber liquid inside the glass he had ordered her to bring. Without waiting for any further instructions, she left the room in a deep bow.

Lucius took the glass and swallowed the whole thing in one large swig, feeling the harsh heat of the drink as it fell to his stomach. Serving himself another glass, he then sat in his chair, brooding murderously at fire that was lit inside the fireplace.

His encounter with the delicious wench had gone all wrong, terribly so. And that imbecile that was hanging around her, made his blood boil to no end. What could she possibly see in a man like that? And a bloody Weasley at that!

He fumed quietly for a while, trying to understand what had gone wrong. He only wanted her attention, didn't he? But his jealousy had gotten in the way. _Blasted woman! _He hissed loudly in the empty room. He had never been this jealous of anyone, least of all a relatively unknown and probably inept wizard like that. _A bloody Weasley!_ He screeched out loud again.

Sure, he was much younger than he. But he certainly could not satisfy the sultry Katherine, as he knew that he could. Lucius was quite confident in his prowess between the sheets, since his experiences had been quite broad and varied. He smirked as he thought of the different scenarios he had imagined, all involving that luscious bit of female flesh. He would not leave Miss.Cardiff hungry for another man's touch. And that he was most certain of...

Reaching up, he undid the ribbon that held his hair near his nape, letting his hair fall loosely about his shoulders. He undid the buttons of his waistcoat and well as the first four buttons of his silk shirt. He let his head fall over the back of his chair, closing his eyes as he relived tonight's kiss.

He had only wanted to shut her up, punishing her for the ugly words that had escaped those lovely lips of hers. But as soon as his lips had touched hers, he knew he was doomed to feel more than just some righteous vindication.

A blaring heat had been ignited in the pit of his stomach as the kiss had gone on, being further fueled by the warmth that her lithe figure had imparted through the few layers of clothing that separated them. Lucius groaned with want and lust. He wanted her badly right now. No, he needed her so she could extinguish the blazing fire that he felt bellow his belt.

Not one to self-satisfy himself out of need, he was deeply compelled to do so tonight. Would he fall easily to such base instincts, when he could owl any number women of his acquaintance that were ready and willing to help him out?

Lucius sniffed out loud, not wanting to share the evening with anyone else but the true object of his desires. Taking the last of his drink with him, he took himself to his rooms to gently scratch the itch that was overwhelming him right now.


	11. Chapter 11

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter eleven: A cup of tea and some Malfoy. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Katherine took another bite from her plate of fish and chips, as she continued her perusal of the latest issue of the Prophet. She was waiting for Bill to arrive, having promised to have lunch with him. 

She glanced up at the clock on the wall and wondered if he had forgotten their lunch date. No matter, she thought distractedly, she had gone ahead and ordered her lunch anyway. She only had a one-hour lunch break after all.

She went back to her reading, not paying much attention to the sounds that surrounded her.

She was taking another bite when someone came along and sat next to her. Thinking it was Bill, she swallowed quickly and turned to the newcomer. 'Bill, why are you so late...'

'Firstly, my name is not Bill.' Lucius said with humor in his voice, 'secondly, how can I be late?'

'Oh! Mr. Malfoy, I wasn't expecting you here' Katherine said quickly.

'Obviously, Miss. Cardiff.' He smiled at her as he undid the clasps of his cloak. 'But here I am, ready to share some time with you. Would you mind the company?'

Katherine blinked at the question, 'Um, I guess not. Are you here alone?'

'For now, yes. But I'll be meeting someone later on. I stopped by since I still had an hour's wait till then. Can I offer you something to drink?' He eyed her appreciatively, enjoying her slight discomfort at his presence.

'Nothing for me, I still have my pot of tea to finish up.' she indicated the lovely bright blue pot at her elbow. 'No liquor while on duty I'm afraid. But thanks for the offer.' Katherine was feeling oddly nervous by his sudden appearance, but she knew she could easily leave at a moments notice if he started to bother her. She silently cursed Bill for forgetting to be here.

Lucius gently arched one of his brows, 'quite understandable, my dear. Your professionalism is commendable, I might add. We so rarely see such upstanding ministry workers these days.'

Katherine wasn't sure if what he said was meant to be praise or a thinly veiled insult. Rather than start a row over it, she smiled sweetly and nodded her head. 'Thank you for the complement, I guess. But then again, I never imbibe alcohol so early in the day. That being said, I have to finish eating before I risk being late for work.'

Malfoy nodded at her words while signaling the bar-witch to order his drink. 'A glass of your finest port, _mademoiselle_.' he said casually to the young witch.

After the bar-witch deposited his glass before him, Lucius started to eye Katherine as she finished her meal. She ate heartily, wasting no time to finish her plate. As she took her napkin to delicately wipe the corners of her mouth, she caught his stare, wondering what could possibly be interesting to him.

'Do you usually stare at people while they eat?' she asked after discarding her napkin.

'No, I never do. But today, you have captured my attention and I can't seem to look away. Does that bother you?' he smirked as she twitched her nose at his comment.

'I can't say that it bothers me, I'm just wondering what you want from me at this very moment.' Katherine didn't believe in cat and mouse games, she preferred the direct route when she wanted to know the truth about something.

Lucius chuckled at her frank talk, finding it refreshing from one so young and of the female gender. 'Hmm, right now I want nothing else but some friendly conversation, if that is agreeable with you.'

'Friendly conversation? After the other night's war of words? Is that possible between us two, it makes one wonder...' Katherine put a few galleons on the table to pay for her meal.

Lucius wanted to wince, but being a Malfoy, he could not show any weakness. He quickly glanced at her, evaluating if she would put up with any bravado on his part. He saw her own calculating stare and knew he couldn't lie his way out of the conversation.

'Well... I do believe that I owe you an apology, Katherine. My intervention that evening was clearly out of line and very distasteful. I hope and pray that you accept my humblest apologies...' He wasn't groveling, or barely... He just wanted to keep things friendly between the two of them.

Katherine stared down at her cup of tea, evaluating if his apology was sincere or not. The apology had come without much coercion from her part, though it didn't explain his rather unexpected rise of anger. What had triggered him off?

Giving him a hard stare, she finally nodded her acceptance. 'I accept your apology, Mr. Malfoy. But would you mind explaining what riled you that night? One minute I'm dancing with Bill and the next one, you were literally coming down on me. I knew I hadn't offended you in the first place, since I didn't even know you were there!'

He lowered his eyes, fiddling with the foot of his glass of port. The girl was a straight shooter, to say the very least. And this made him very uncomfortable; how could he admit his jealousy to her? They had shared only one kiss and he was ready to defend her honor like a younger man would do for his intended. He wasn't some heart sick pup, for Merlin's sake!

'I... ' He started weakly, 'I really don't know how to explain it, Katherine.' He carefully looked back up, taking in her 'try me' look with some trepidation. 'I came in the restaurant and the first thing I see, is that 'boy' kissing you like there is no tomorrow.'

'And?' Katherine urged on

'I couldn't believe it at first. I never imagined that you would be so bold or brazen to let a man 'paw' you in that way... in such a public setting.' he added quickly. He smiled wryly at her, 'I know that I came forward to try and save your reputation, in a way. But it backfired on me, didn't it?'

She sat staring at him, emotions passing over her face swiftly, until she settled on her next question. 'Why did you think that my reputation needed any saving? I'm not well known like you are. How could it affect me in any way? No one even knew my name!'

Lucius winced that time. 'Well, as I said before, the whole thing backfired on me. Horribly so, I'm afraid.'

She knew he was keeping back something; so she pressed on to get it out of him. 'Maybe you have something against Bill?'

'I have nothing against Mr. Weasley, I barely know the man. I met him on a few occasion at Gringotts.' The only thing he had against him was the fact that he had held her in his arms. Malfoy was feeling a little ruffled by this time.

'Hmm!' she answered back in even tones. Thinking a little more about his words, Katherine finally saw the light of reason. 'You were jealous, weren't you?' she whispered, as she got closer to him, bending over the table to get a closer look at him.

Lucius pulled away from her, his face flushed with embarrassment and irritation. This wench was as keen as they could get. How did she deduce that so quickly?

'I wouldn't go so far as saying that...' he started to say until she snorted derisively at him. '... But I did feel somewhat put-off by the sight.'

'Put-off? That's a nice way of saying it.' she shook her head at him, 'this is just wonderful! One kiss and I'm forever yours?' she said flippantly, smiling at him in wonder.

Her tone angered him, so he looked down at his glass again, trying to diffuse his own feelings. It wouldn't do to blow up again.

'Listen... if you want to see me again, say so. If you don't, just stay away. It's as simple as that with me.' Katherine said bluntly. 'I agree that the kiss we shared the other night was surprising, but entirely brilliant. Would I mind a repeat? The answer is no, I wouldn't mind at all.'

Lucius stared at her, not quite believing what she had just said. He really hadn't expected her to come out with that answer. 'You thought it was 'brilliant'?' he murmured as his brows shot up, his face reflecting his disbelief.

'Yes. Brilliant, toe curling, wonderful, stupendous... whatever word you care to apply that means the same.' she watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye, catching the numerous emotions that were playing across his face.

'Oh!' he simply replied. 'Does that mean that you would be willing to have dinner with me in the not too distant future?'

'I don't know.' she said casually with a hint of maliciousness in her voice. 'Do you think it would be safe to go out with you? Since you were trying to defend my honor and such the other night.' She winked at him for effect.

There it was, his own words coming back to bite him on the... 'You are going to torture me with my own words, aren't you?'

She nodded in agreement. 'Yes, sir!'

He passed his hand over his face in exasperation. 'You are far too bright for your own good, my dear! But I do like a good challenge.'

'A challenge, am I now?' she nodded with approval. 'Good luck, sir! You might need it...' she left cryptically with a devilish grin.

'I should be saying that to you, my dear. I haven't lived this long without learning a few tricks to foil my adversaries.' he chuckled under his breath. Let her learn the lessons that he'll be serving her.

'My, my, my... is that a dare?' she uttered with a low voice, almost like a purr. Her eyes surveyed him with intensity.

'I should say so, my dear lady! You are on official notice then. I will be doing my utmost to seduce you senseless.' he breathed slowly under his breath, his eyes growing darker with un-hidden passion. He put his elbows on the table, pulling himself over the table and closer to her face. 'Will you accept the challenge?'

Their eyes met, his words hanging between them, waiting for her acceptance. She lowered her glance for a second, wetting her lips with the tip of tongue before looking back up at him. 'I accept.' she purred back at him.

Then before he could say anything else, she grabbed him by the nape and pulled him in for a quick kiss on the lips. It was over before it even started.

'I will say this,' she said finally, 'you may think that this will be an easy walk through the park, but I do know that I will be expecting great things from you.'

'Mark my words, my dear! I will be expecting as much from you.' Lucius was more than up for this challenge. All the fantasies he had dreamt up since their first encounter, would keep them very busy for some time.

Katherine stood up suddenly, taking a look at her watch in the process. 'Circe's girdle! I'm going to be late for work. Got to fly now... See you soon!' With a pop, she had apparated away without another word.

This had been the oddest conversation he had had with a witch in the longest time. Scratching his chin, he thought about the first thing he wanted to do with this lovely bit of witch flesh. Taking his glass of port, he slowly stood up and went to the stairs that led to the upper rooms of the inn. His meeting was being held in five minutes, giving him some time to think about her and their next encounter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter twelve: Mum and Dad. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Katherine sat in her parent's kitchen, holding the truly horrible concoction her mother called tea. She grinded her teeth as she took another sip, whishing she had brought some of hers from home. 

'Mum, I think the chickens got out again. And Fergus is having fun chasing them.' Katherine grinned as the old mixed breed loped heavily from one side of the yard to the other.

'Don't let him do that... Katherine, go outside and please stop him from doing that. You know that his hips can't take that much activity anymore.' Teresa Cardiff hollered from the upper floor. 'Get him inside before he injures himself.'

Katherine shrugged a shoulder and went to the door, stepping outside with her wand in hand. She knew that Fergus barely had fun anymore and would hardly listen to her calls.

'Fergus! You dotty dog, get inside this instant!' she aimed the chickens and stunned them until she could get them back in their pen. 'Fergus... I'm warning you, get back inside.'

The dog finally looked up when it noticed that the birds had stopped moving and one of his mistresses was calling him. Its tongue hung to one side of its open mouth, panting heavily as he wagged his tail with glee. Fergus walked slowly toward her, coming up for a free pat on his head.

'Fergus, go inside or mum will go ballistic on you.' She patted the big dog's shaggy yellow head, grabbing its collar for good measure. Her mother was now standing at the door.

'Katherine, why did you go stunning the chickens?' Teresa groaned, 'just put them back where they belong and I'll handle Fergus.' she grabbed the dog's collar and led him inside. 'And do be careful while closing the gate. You remember the last time you forgot to lock it. It took an hour for your dad to find them all.'

Katherine hissed a breath out, irritated by her mum's usual disparaging remarks. She swore as she collected the bloody fowl and placed them back within their pen. Putting back the latch on the gate, she added a large brass padlock with a swish of her wand, making sure that she locked the blasted thing.

Dragging her feet, hands firmly shoved inside her cloak pockets, she entered the house again without much enthusiasm. Another visit, another soured experience she thought to herself. Her mum could suck the very life out of a rock if she minded herself to do it.

'All done, mum. And the gate is properly locked, I can assure you.' Katherine grumbled on, taking her seat by the window.

'That's nice, dear...' her mother muttered in response. 'More tea?'

'No!' Katherine answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly as her mother's head snapped up to peer back at her.

'Don't take that tone, young lady.' she sniffed haughtily, bringing the kettle to a boil with a tap of her wand. 'I was only offering...'

Katherine cut off her mum's coming diatribe. 'I know, mum. Thank you anyway, I've had more than enough tea for today.'

'Sometimes, I do wish you were a bit more amiable with me. Am I such a bad mother?' she huffed as she added the tea leaves to the small, brightly colored teapot. The ornate orange and yellow flowers upon the bright blue base screamed loudly, making Katherine long for a pair of muggle sunglasses.

'No, mum. You know you're not a bad mother. Why do you bring that up every single time we argue?' she huffed back indignantly.

'I do not do that and you better bloody well remember that. I am your mother and you owe me some degree of courtesy when you visit. What would your father think?' Teresa said as she put her fists on her plump hips, a petulant sneer on her face.

'Merlin help me!' Katherine whispered as she looked toward the ceiling. She really didn't want to go there again. 'Where is dad anyway? Isn't he back from his errand yet?'

'He should be here soon and I will be talking to him about your attitude problem.' Teresa finally responded after she rearranged a few wisps of graying hair behind her ears.

'Fine, I'll wait for him in the sitting room.' Katherine murmured, trying to keep her irritation in check. She walked along the corridor and entered the overfilled room, taking the nearest Queen Anne style chair. Every inch of floor space was seemingly filled some kind of odd or end that her father had brought back from his missions abroad. Her mother had added the perfectly pressed doilies to put her own personal touch to the ensemble.

Her parent's had moved to this small farm outside of the Lake district, wanting to be away from the wizarding communities. Her father had endured enough strife and headaches as a liaison officer for the ministry. He had dealt with his fair share of negotiations with a myriad of peoples and creatures: Goblins, merepeople, giants, centaurs and whatever else needed to be done to smooth the relations with either camp. His retirement had been a godsend from Katherine's point of view, but her mum still griped about the lack of social events they were invited to since then.

Her father came in a half hour later, a small brown bag under his arm. He removed his traveling cloak and placed it neatly on the coat rack near the door. 'Teresa... I'm back!' he called loudly, walking across the foyer and entering the sitting room without further ado.

"Katherine!' he said with surprise, 'didn't know you were coming today. What brings you out here?' He bent down to kiss his daughter on the cheek, ruffling the top of her head as if she were a five year old again.

"Dad! Stop doing that!' she reached up with both hands to calmly to put back her hair in its proper place.

Gerard Cardiff smiled gently at his eldest child, knowing how much she indeed hated his little marks of affection. But he couldn't help himself. He loved his children and had to show it somehow.

She caught his smile and grinned back at him, he could be such a lovely pain sometimes. "I came over because mum asked... demanded that I make a required visit. Said it had been too long since my last visit and that you were sick with worry about me...'

Gerard shook his head at her words. 'You know your mother and her gift for over-embellishing situations.' He chuckled as he took a seat near the end table, putting the brown bag on its top.

Katherine grunted in response, nodding her head as she rolled her eyes. 'To say the very least, Dad.'

'Now, tell me what's new and exciting at the ministry. Any good gossip going around?' he asked with a wink in her direction.

Katherine made a short dissertation of the newest things that she'd heard about and whatever juicy bits she had overheard. Her father smiled, remembering the faces of the different people she was naming. He did have some great memories from the place, though they were overshadowed by the resurgence of the Dark Lord.

That in itself had been the scourge that had tinted the last few years of his employment. He had lost too many friends and colleagues during those years. So he had resolutely given his resignation and had physically distanced himself form the wizarding world.

He nodded to her when she had finished and asked, 'what about you, Kitty? Any new people in your life?' He used the pet name he had so often called her since she was a child. She had been profoundly in love with every cat she had ever set her eyes on and the name had come from her penchant for the felines she had known.

Katherine laughed at the name, 'Not much on that front, Dad.'

'What about that Bill Weasley? Doesn't he figure prominently in your life? I was under the impression that you fancied the young man.' Her father said while looking over his eyeglasses.

'Bill is a good friend, nothing more.' she answered with a smile.

'Ah! No one else has managed to tickle your fancy? You being such a pretty witch and all...' her father chided her.

Katherine said nothing, letting her gaze focus on a small bronze statuette on the table next to her.

'Hmm!' her father muttered, 'no one you want to mention to your mother, I'm willing to bet.'

She looked at her father, reading his greenish-brown eyes. 'Something like that, Dad.'

'Do bring him along if he ever takes on any importance in your life, will you?' he added, his hand going inside the brown bag to fish out another smaller bag. He tapped his wand on its side, making it grow back to its original volume.

Katherine read the writing on the side, 'you went to Honeydukes? Oh... _gimme_ a look at what's inside.' she tried to take the bag away from him, giggling as she missed her target. 'Come on, you know I can't resist anything from that place.'

'Ah, ah, ahhh... patience, Kitty! If you're nice with your Mum over dinner, I might give you some...' he plunged his hand inside and took the family box of chocolate frogs. 'Nice and tasty frogs for you?' he taunted her.

Katherine almost drooled at the thought. 'You are so cruel with me.' she half-whined at him, pouting theatrically at him.

He laughed at her mimic, 'You look like your cousin Dorothea.'

'I do not! Now, give me a frog... please!' she smiled broadly, 'and I'll behave with Mum.'

He eyed her, disbelief painted over his face. 'I don't know about that.' He took a frog wrapper and swung it between his fingers. 'Seems you like going for your mother these days.'

Katherine smirked at her father, 'Yea, well... she does her best to get me going at times. You must admit that.'

He nodded to her, but a moment later, the frog flew out of his hand and landed on Katherine's lap. She picked it up, tore the wrapper apart and chucked the piece of chocolate in her mouth. 'Mmm...'

'You are hopeless!' he threw his hands up and got off his chair. He put the box next to his daughter, grinning as her face reflected the sheer pleasure the confection produced.

* * *

A little family history for now... a bit more in the next chapter. Then we can get to the juicy parts with Mr. Malfoy and his exhuberant imagination. Thanks to everyone who have so far reviewed the story... every little bit helps me to define certain parts as opposed to others. And yes, I did visit the LJ page where my story was critiqued... It was a fun visit and did get a few ideas for the progress of this story. And this story is definitely AU! So, Malfoy is as easy to play with (if not distort a wee bit) as any other canon character, so if you can only read canon Malfoy, you won't like my story at all. Enough said, back to the story. ;) 


	13. Chapter 13

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter thirteen: Oh, brother of mine! **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

The family dinner was a silent affair, only the sounds of cutlery gently hitting the dishes and the soft thud of glasses being deposited on the table, disturbed the relatively quiet home. 

Fergus kept an ever-watchful eye on any bit of food that might fall to the floor inadvertently. Gerard usually did drop a few things when his wife wasn't watching, mindful that she would blow her top if she ever caught him doing so.

'My clean floors!' she'd say with a haughty look in her eye. She was forever resentful that they had never gotten a house-elf for their home. Which meant that she had to cook, clean and upkeep the house without much help from her husband.

Dinner was over and done with, so Katherine got up to help her mother with the clean up. As she busied herself with the cleaning, she heard her Mum over her shoulder.

'Kenneth!' she said chirpily, 'welcome home, my dearest. Are you hungry? Would you like something to drink?' Her mother went on and on, fussing over her son as she did every time she laid her eyes on him. It was quite nauseating at times.

'Mum, I don't need anything. I just came by to see how you guys were.' Kenneth said calmly, kissing his mother on both cheeks. 'No need to fuss over me like that.'

'I'm not fussing!' she retorted, slightly bothered by his refusal. 'I'm just making sure you are well. Can you blame me for looking out for your welfare?'

'No, mum. And I do appreciate your efforts on my behalf.' he concluded as he wound an arm around his mother's shoulders. 'Is Dad home? I need to talk to him.'

'He's in the sitting room, as usual. And your sister is actually here too. You'll find her in the kitchen.' Teresa said as she went back to cleaning up the dinner table.

Kenneth poked his head around the kitchen doorway. "Well, well, well... look what the barn owl brought in! Hey, Katherine! How are you doing?' Kenneth came around the center island and placed a light kiss on his sister's cheek.

'Doing fine, Ken. You?' she said as she placed the last glass on the shelf.

'Doing good, can't complain...' he said loudly, and then lowered his voice. 'Has Mum been bugging you? I sensed it when I got that effusion of motherly love in the dining room.'

'Same as usual, I guess.' she muttered under her breath. 'How's Greg? Haven't seen you two in such a long time. Are you still on?'

Ken sat up on counter, his eyes falling to the floor. 'No, it didn't work out. He was too involved in his ministry work, got scared that someone might discover his 'bent'.' he whispered so only his sister could here the news.

'Ah! Ken! I'm so sorry to hear that. I thought you guys made a cute couple... too bad it didn't work out.' Katherine patted her brother's arm, before sitting up on the counter next to him. 'Need an ear? I'll be glad to help if you want my sisterly advice.' she smiled sweetly at him.

Ken grabbed his sister by the neck, 'Nah, it's ok. I had a long talk with Jill and Michael the other day. It helped to take some of the load off... ' Jill and Michael were both cousins of theirs, on their father's side. 'But thanks for offering the help, it counts for more than you know.'

Katherine shrugged, 'what are sister's for?' Then she eyed him a little more seriously, 'you know you'll have to come out one day, with Dad and Mum if you know what I mean. They will suspect something's awry since you never bring any girlfriends home.'

'Yea, I know what you mean. I just don't look forward to mother's reaction. She'll probably want to kill me for being a _poof_.' Ken derided, 'her prodigal son... the great Unspeakable in training! She's going to flip her lid!'

'Maybe so, but Dad will come around, I'm sure. He'll know how to handle her.' Katherine offered quietly, even she wasn't totally convinced by the idea.

Ken smirked, 'yea, I guess so.' He got off the counter and asked, 'staying long tonight?'

'I don't think so; I have an early day tomorrow. You?' she asked as she accepted his hand to get off the counter.

'No, I won't stay long either. I have to meet my mentor tomorrow morning as well.' He said thoughtfully, but then his eyes swerved toward the window, looking at a very majestic eagle owl coming in for a landing. 'Whoa! Nice owl! I wonder who the post is for?'

He opened the window and handsome bird quietly strode in and went to Katherine. After it extended its leg at her, it kept a steady gaze upon her until she had taken the missive.

Unfurling the expensive looking parchment, her eyes grew wide as she read the short note. Her cheeks flushed as she looked around for a quill and some ink.

'Well? Don't keep me waiting, who sent it?' Ken asked with curiosity.

'Aren't you training to be an Unspeakable? I thought curiosity was banned over there?' Katherine said hotly.

Ken chuckled, 'I beg your pardon, Missy! No low blows, do you hear? I don't go around dismissing what you people do at Muggle relations, now do I?' He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 'Give us a peek and we won't say a word about it.'

Katherine gave him a dirty look, putting the parchment behind her back. 'No way, this is too hot to handle, even for an Unspeakable, such as you.' She grinned at him finally. 'It happens to be a letter from someone I met. And it's way too early for me to even call it anything but a friendly note.'

Ken looked at her, waggling his brows at her. 'Is it someone I know?' he said with some mischief, 'maybe a very well placed someone?'

'Why do you say that?' she said defensively.

'Come on, Katherine! Look at the paper it's written on... a few sheets like those cost more than half my flat's rental.' Ken had always been good observer. 'Come on, tell me. I won't tattle to anyone, I promise!'

Katherine rolled his question around in her mind, trying to decide if this was a good idea. After giving him a hard stare, she reluctantly shoved the letter in his greedy little hands. His triumphant smile soon fell as he read the letter and finally saw the signature at the bottom.

'You've got to be kidding! Him?' he uttered with dismay.

She nodded, waiting for the rest of his thoughts on the matter.

He reread the letter a few times, not quite believing that Lucius Malfoy obviously had some feelings for his sister. But there it was, black on white, as clear as day. The prose was bit stuffy, but it was indeed an invitation to dine with the man himself. Ken whistled as he thought of the possible repercussions. She worked for Arthur Weasley, an ardent defender of Muggles and their artifacts. How would this mesh with her dating one belonging to the Pureblood hierarchy?

'This could get a bit messy... you know that Malfoy is a premier Pureblood advocate. That won't impress your boss in any way.' he said cautiously, taking a quick glance at her face.

Katherine smiled grimly, 'like I went out of my way to get noticed! If its any one's fault, I should be blaming Arthur.'

'Please! How could you believe that? Arthur surely didn't arrange a blind date between the two of you.' Her brother said skeptically, shooting her another stare.

'Maybe not a blind date, dear brother, but he kept sending me to those horrid social events at the ministry. Our paths crossed a little while back and then on few occasions after that.' Katherine explained carefully.

A loud hoot was heard after she had spoken, the eagle owl was quite impatient to fly back to his master and started to claw the counter with sharp clicks.

'Hold on there, I'll give the letter back to you.' Katherine scolded the bird with a wave of her hand. She scrawled her answer at the bottom of the letter and tied it to the bird's leg. 'Ken, open the window for sir owl here...'

Her brother opened the window and the owl shot right through in a sudden flurry of plumes and strong beats of its wings.

'I just hope this doesn't backfire on you, Katherine. You know how the ministry gets when they smell a possible public relations problem.' Ken advised his sister.

'How could it? I'm not actually looking for any long-term commitment with the man. I just want to get to know him, that's all.' she said guardedly.

'Yea... I'll believe that one when Voldemort kisses Dumbledore's feet.' Ken uttered as he left the kitchen and his sister.


	14. Chapter 14

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter fourteen: Garden of delight. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

Katherine dressed herself early, feeling a mix of nervousness and exhilaration. His note had mentioned to be ready for seven tonight and looking at the clock for the hundredth time today, she realized that she only had five minutes to go. 

She drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair, wondering where he'd take her. He hadn't mentioned much about what they would be doing, or where for that matter, but she was sure that it would be quite exciting.

At seven, as her clock started to chime in the hour, the same handsome eagle owl from the other evening came tapping at her window. Katherine jumped from her seat and ran to the window. Feeling worried that he might be canceling their date, she let bird enter the room and rapidly untied the letter and small pouch that was neatly tied to the bird's leg.

The owl didn't wait for an answer and quickly left before she could say anything. Katherine was puzzled by its sudden departure and had to shake the uneasy feeling that overtook her. She undid the red ribbon that kept the tightly wound parchment and unfurled the paper with shaky fingers.

_Katherine, _

Please reach inside the bag and take what is to be your key to this evening's rendezvous. I wait for your arrival with baited breath.

Yours truly, Lucius

Katherine smiled, exhaling the breath she had been holding in while she read the letter. It dawned on her that whatever was in the bag might a portkey, since Lucius hadn't come himself. Not wanting to take a chance, she placed her heavy woolen cloak on her shoulders, tying it securely around her neck before reaching inside the sac.

Her fingers found a key, briefly feeling the magical energy placed upon it, before she felt the familiar tug around her navel. Within moments, she had been transported to a heavily wooded area in an unknown countryside. She stood facing a rather large and ornate metal fence. Some ivy crept along its slats in certain areas, but she could clearly see the door straight ahead.

She walked toward it, her hand reaching up to open the latch. But the latch wouldn't budge at all, making her huff with frustration. She thought for a second until she remembered the key.

'Lumos' she whispered as she took her wand out, illuminating the door and peering at it until she found the latching system. She slipped the key in the keyhole and the gate creaked open before she could do anything else.

Raising her wand high above her head, she could see a meandering pathway that was dimly lit by a few torches. She hesitated for moment, wondering if this was the way she had to go. She looked around and couldn't decipher anything else that might indicate another venue. Her senses were heightened by the experience, but she eventually went toward the path.

She walked slowly and quietly, listening for any sign of movement while keeping an eye on the ground. She could hardly see where she was stepping, trying to avoid any rocks or forest debris on the path. The abnormal silence that reigned within these woods, made her even more nervous.

She finally got to a clearing, the sky becoming more visible with each step, giving her a good view of the nearly full moon. She walked further on, peering around, trying to find Lucius within the shadows that enveloped her.

'Lucius?' she called out in a small voice, 'are you here?'

This was really making her edgy and apprehensive. Maybe she didn't take the right way? 'Damn it!' she let out after a few minutes, 'this can't be right?'

She reached a courtyard, which in the pale light of the torches that surrounded it, she could see the large fountain that stood in its center with many well-manicured bushes on its perimeter. She came to stand next to it, listening at the soft trickle of water that fell from its stone architecture. She strained her eyes, trying to identify the shape it represented.

'Good evening, Katherine.' Lucius murmured behind her.

Katherine jumped with a start, turning quickly on her heel to face him. 'Lucius... you almost made me faint. Don't ever scare me like that again.' She put her hand over her chest, feeling the quick and heavy thudding of her heart. She could see the sudden flash of a grin before he spoke again.

'I'm so sorry, my dear. Didn't mean to scare you like that.' he said softly, 'so, do you forgive me?' He came forward, reaching up to take her hand, touching his lips to its back.

Katherine felt somewhat appeased by his words, but not completely. Her breath slowed as her heartbeats went back to a more normal rhythm. 'I could have hexed you!'

'I doubt it, my pet. I do know how to defend myself.' he chuckled lightly with a raised brow. He was neither scared nor worried by what she said. 'I doubt you could actually hurt me in those circumstances. I always come prepared.'

He stepped closer to her, his eyes taking in her subtle features in the pale light that surrounded them. 'I missed you... I have been thinking about you all week.' He reached up to cup the side of her face, feeling her warmth through his leather-gloved hand. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, gazing intently at her face.

'You have?' she breathed out lightly, trying to control the slight tremor in her voice.

'Yes, quite a bit actually. Seems I couldn't drag my thoughts away from you for very long. I even got chastised for my lack of concentration.' he said gruffly, remembering the Dark Lord's scathing remarks during their last meeting.

His Master had been in the middle of a long-winded explanation of his latest idea, when Lucius's thoughts had erred away without notice. Of course he had been thinking about this evening's arrangements, but to his greatest chagrin, the Master had caught him in the middle of his flight of fancy.

A few well-spoken words of warning and a 'Crucius' later, Lucius had lain panting on the floor while pains shot through his body. The experience did remind him that he should never let his mind wander again... or else!

'Oh, dear! I hope it didn't get you in too much trouble?' she smiled at him, blissfully ignorant about what he had to endure at times.

'Nothing I can't handle, I can assure you.' he smirked in retrospect. 'And how about you? Have I been in your thoughts as well?'

Katherine blushed a bit, though she was quite happy that the relative darkness of the courtyard would probably mask this fact. 'I have been thinking of you this past week. Pleasantly so, I must add.'

A lop-sided smile touched his lips for an instant, before he bent his head down to briefly touch her lips with his. 'Knowing that, pleases me immensely... A balm for my poor male ego.' he let out smoothly.

'I didn't think your ego needed any balm. But if it pleases you, so be It.' she mocked playfully. Her gaze searched his for any sign of displeasure at her words.

'Most pleased... ' He breathed as he lowered his mouth again, taking her with thoroughly deep and hungry kiss. His hands circled her waist under her cloak, tugging her closer to his frame. She whimpered softly under his touch, her hands reaching up to grasp his shoulders.

They kissed hungrily until they had to come up for air, panting heavily as they slightly broke apart. They looked at each other, wondering what the other could possibly be thinking of.

'Your kisses are intoxicating, young lady. But I do have other things I'd like to do with you before I lose myself in your arms again. If you don't mind?' Lucius whispered to her ear, coming in for gentle nuzzle of her neck and a swift lick at her earlobe.

Katherine closed her eyes, feeling his warm breath here and there on her neck. Steeling herself away from these arousing feelings, she answered airily, 'No, lets see what you have in store.' If it was anything nearly as exciting as his kisses, she was a willing victim.

'Come along then, our feast awaits us in the solarium. Please follow me...' he grazed her lips again before taking a few steps back and offering his hand to guide her.

She took his hand without another thought, following him toward another pathway within the garden that lay beyond. They walked quietly, his arm coming around her waist to pull her forward and guide her steps. How he could see anything without his wand lit before them was beyond her understanding. But follow him, she did! Trusting him to bring her safely to wherever they were headed.

As they rounded a very high hedge, the pathway opened up, giving Katherine her first glimpse of Malfoy manor. The gray-white stone façade ran on and on, revealing the great vastness of the huge edifice. She gasped softly, truly surprised by the size of the stately home.

Lucius heard her intake of breath and grinned quietly at her side. 'This is my home… What do you think'

Katherine looked up as they came closer, wondering how many people inhabited the place. 'It's quite impressive, I must say. Who lives here, apart from you?' She asked with curiosity.

'I live alone for now, and a few servants of course. My son is presently away at Hogwarts, but he'll be back for Christmas holidays.' He said casually, not noticing the quick glance that Katherine gave him.

'It's quite a large but lovely home, Lucius. Doesn't it get lonely up here?' Katherine mentioned, after looking over her shoulder, noticing that they couldn't see any city lights in the vicinity.

'At times, it is. But I do a lot of reading and researching for my work. It passes the time…' he said with a shrug of his shoulder. 'But tonight, I have company that I need to entertain. Follow me and we'll get better acquainted while we dine.' Again, he took her hand and led her to the left side of the large house.

They passed a few large windows and a set of glass doors, giving her a chance to see inside. They seemed to be passing a rather large library, walls covered with books from floor to ceiling. Katherine was passably dumbstruck by what she saw, but said nothing as they passed by. Maybe he'd show it to her later on?

They got to their destination, Lucius stepping forward to open the glass door for her. Stepping through, she was struck by the sheer beauty of the environment. A lush collection of plants and flowers greeted them, subtle aromas coming to tickle one's nose. She smiled as she saw the lovely collection of garden furnishings, covered with flowery pale blue damask. She would have gushed with amazement, but felt that she would seem a bit puerile if she did so.

Lucius gazed at her, seeing how her eyes lit up as she glanced at the room with interest. 'I gather that you like this room?'

Katherine turned around, beaming back at him. 'This is a wonderful room… so light and airy. I could really live here all the time.' She said jokingly, not really meaning it for real.

'Maybe you shall, my pet. You should never discount your first impressions…' he replied cryptically, a grin lighting up his face.

His words made Katherine pause for a moment, not sure how she should reply to his remark.


	15. Chapter 15

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter fifteen: Too much drink? **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

They conversed congenially while going through their meal, Lucius asking her questions about her work at the ministry, as well as more personal ones concerning her family and such. He seemed particularly curious about her father's past work at the ministry, but Katherine gave little relevant details about it. She barely knew the man and wouldn't go into details about anything that could potentially be delicate or embarrassing for her father or his former acquaintances and friends. 

By the time they had reached the desert phase of their meal, Katherine felt stuffed and quite light-headed. Lucius didn't believe in leaving a wine goblet empty for very long, insisting to refill it when he noticed that she had drained its contents.

Eyeing the platter of French pastries before her, Katherine only felt nauseous and nothing would pass her lips for a good while. Looking at him across the candle lit tabletop, she gazed at him, loving the way his hair shone while his head nodded and moved while he spoke. She felt a bit detached, listening at his words through an alcohol fogged brain, almost giggling as he sputtered about some uninteresting bit of idiocy he had encountered during his last visit with the minister himself.

Lucius finally stopped speaking and realized that his guest had been quite mute for the last twenty minutes or so. His focus shifted to her overall posture at the moment. Her head was thrown back, cradled in one corner of the wingback chair. Her eyes had a glassy sheen to them, which made him think that he had probably been a bit too generous with tonight's fine wines.

'Katherine?' he finally asked, 'are you feeling well?'

''Me? I'm feeling very...' she giggled a bit, her hand coming up to cover her mouth with a impish look in her eyes. She tried to sit straight, but ended up slouching back in the chair. 'I do believe that I'm slightly ineb... inebrate... ' She spluttered with another giggle. 'I'm sloshed!'

Lucius snorted a half-laugh, trying to keep a straight face on. He had gotten her drunk without notice and now had to deal with her obviously altered state. This might be an excellent way of getting information out of a potential pawn, but this was not what he had in mind for his first date with the lovely lady.

'Juliette!' he called dryly, summoning one of his many servants. After she appeared at his side, he sharply said 'Bring us some strong coffee, right now!' he eyed the creature with little else but barely veiled contempt.

'Yes, Master Malfoy! As you wish, sir' the poor thing backed away with fear in her eyes, suddenly disappearing with a sharp pop.

Lucius got up and came to the other side of the table, summoning his chair with a wave of his hand. He sat close to Katherine, taking in her closed eyes and faintly smiling face. At least she seemed like a happy drunk, he silently thought with a smirk pulling the corners of his mouth. He really did think that he would have a more nefarious time with her, instead of having to help her get back on a more even keel.

'Katherine, are you still awake?' he asked with a raised brow, his hand taking one of hers, rubbing his thumb across its back.

She nodded with a grin, 'I'm awake, Lucius. I'm just resting my eyes.'

'I've asked for some coffee for you since I believe that any more spirits would render you unconscious.' he said clearly and loudly as if she were hard of hearing.

She grimaced at the loud words, wondering why he spoke to her like that. She might be tipsy but not deaf. 'Goodie!' she muttered, 'more stuff to imbibe.' she giggled again for some unknown reason.

He was slightly taken aback, praying that the coffee would cut her giggly mood. If not, he'd ask one of the elves to find some potion to counteract the effects of the alcohol.

With a pop, Juliette reappeared with a silver tray and coffee service. She served her master and his guest and left without another word.

'Come along now, the coffee has arrived and I want you to drink this while it's hot.' He gently pulled on her hand to make her sit straight and pushed the cup and saucer in her other hand.

'Oh!' she whimpered, taking hold of the saucer a bit clumsily and sloshing some of its contents over the rim. 'Thank you, Lucius... much obliged.' She took a tentative sip of the scalding hot liquid, hissing as it burned her upper lip and the tip of her tongue.

He had let her hand go, giving her a chance to drink properly. When he heard her hiss and then blow a breath out through her lips, he had to smirk again. 'This is quite romantic, don't you think?' he said with some amusement.

She turned her face toward him, giving him a very dirty stare. 'Quite...' she said dryly, 'but you can't blame me for this predicament. I do believe that I did mention to stop refilling my goblet some time ago. I do know my limits.'

'Maybe so, but I didn't put the cup to your lips.' he responded as dryly as he could. 'But then, I'm used to having men to drink with and they usually have more tolerance to any alcohol that I serve.'

'Really?' she asked with a point of returning mirth, if not some degree retaliation for his last remark. 'You usually have romantic _soirees_ with men rather than women? That's interesting to know.' She grinned in her cup as she took another tentative sip.

Lucius grasped the meaning of her words a split second later, frowning at her in disbelief. 'Miss Cardiff... that is not what I meant. I do not have romantic or otherwise perverse evenings with men. I meant that I usually drink liberally when meeting with my male counterparts and friends.'

'Uh huh...' taking another sip from her cup, peering at him with an innocent look.

'I do not 'go' for men...' he rallied, 'and I don't appreciate your insinuations.' he huffed with mounting irritation.

'I wasn't insinuating anything, just playing with your words. It was rather leading, you must admit.' she put her cup down and settled her hand on his arm. 'I'm a bit jokester at times, sorry if I've offended you in any way. Forgive me?' she said with puppy eyes and a big grin.

With lips firmly pressed together, he scowled at her. 'I don't even know if I should? I've never had my masculinity challenged by a woman before now.'

'Oh, no! I would never think you were anything but a very masculine man. I was just taking your words out of context and playing with them.' she purred at him, getting up and coming to sit on his lap. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she looked directly into eyes. 'What can I do to be forgiven for my total lack of sensitivity?'

His irritation melted away, leaving the way open to more delightful feelings. 'Well... I might have an idea or two' he drawled evenly. 'Care to come inside the mansion? I might have a more comfortable place to discuss this.'

She eyed him with a smile, adjusting herself over his lap, making him feel her heat more acutely. 'Sounds like a good idea.' She leaned in to give him a chaste kiss on his lips, rubbing his nose with hers rather coyly, eyes locked with his.

Lucius almost groaned, her kittenish display and the feel of her most pleasant bottom moving over his lap was titillating him beyond words.

'Come...' he whispered, making her stand before he got up himself. 'I believe the alcohol's effects has been sufficiently dispelled and we can now get to know each other better.'

He offered his hand and she took it, her eyes dreamily looking up at him. He felt another pulse of pleasure in his crotch as he realized that she was a willing participant for the evening's nocturnal games.

They entered the mansion through the double glass doors and then led her to the long spiraling stairs. Keeping her hand in his, he escorted her to the upper landing and turned to his right.

Katherine couldn't help herself from gawking at everything she saw. The mansion was as huge as it seemed from the outside; beautifully decorated with many paintings, wall hangings of by-gone times and some rather large statues. It was almost a museum! As they went up the stairs, she saw the many portraits of people she assumed were relatives and past owners of the stately home. Among the few smiling faces she saw (mostly females...), the men all stood still with a very familiar type of sneer on their face.

The family resemblances were quite evident, a few did mutter 'good evening, Lucius!' as they passed by. One of the paintings gave her a thorough up and down glance, leering at her as if he understood what would be happening upstairs. She frowned at the painting without saying a word, thinking it wouldn't be acceptable to tell the old bugger off.

They came to the end of the corridor, facing a pair of large oak panel doors. 'Welcome to my suites. I hope that you will appreciate what you see...' Lucius said with a wolfish grin.

'I'm looking forward to discovering what you have in store.' she answered in light tones, feeling the sudden shift of energy between them. She gulped nervously. _Dear God_, she thought feverishly, _isn't he the most handsome devil._

He opened the doors with a well-practiced wave of his hand and then invited her in with a nod of his head. He smirked at the sudden flush of her cheeks, taking her by the elbow as she went in. With another wave of his hand, the doors were closed behind them and a small click heard as the lock was engaged.


	16. Chapter 16

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter sixteen: Silks and sheers **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

* * *

What greeted her inside the room, left Katherine slightly bowled over. She had heard about the way certain wealthy wizards lived, but this was a bit much for her taste. It made her feel like she had stepped into Ali Babba's den. 'Whoa... this is quite...' 

'Leaves you breathless, doesn't it?' Lucius said as he watched her reaction to the elaborate set up he had ordered.

'In a way...' she said casually as she stepped further into the room, having to bend over a little bit as she passed an archway made up of opalescent green and turquoise sheers. She almost tripped on the bear rug that lay on the floor... almost.

Lucius followed her, almost lunging when he thought she would fall. He was feeling a bit put off by now, she wasn't exactly complementing him on his choice of decor for the evening. 'Would I be presumptuous in thinking that you do not like what you see?' he finally asked, somewhat vexed by her lack of enthusiasm.

She was still looking over the podium bed, overflowing with satin pillows and draped in satin. The long fluid lines of the sheers that dripped adroitly from the ceiling were a clever addition if one happened to enjoy such things. A half-smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. _This is so kitsch_, she thought humorously.

She cleared her voice to remove any possible note of amusement in her voice. 'It's very pretty and quite imaginative.' she said as she touched the sheets with the tips of her fingers. She cocked her head to see what could be seen underneath the canopy. Oh, dear! The recreation of a midnight sky, complete with twinkling stars and a pale moon. _Too much_, she thought to herself.

She finally finished her inspection, putting on a sweet smile as she turned back to him. 'I really appreciate all the trouble you went through to make this a special evening.' She walked back, avoiding the rug with a little side step, coming to a stop near him. She put her hands on his chest, 'this is lovely, but it wasn't necessary. I rarely judge on appearance alone, I prefer to judge on content and the quality of the goods. Not its wrapping.'

Lucius's face fell for a split second, but then put back his usual haughty look. He wasn't used to being second-guessed or let down. As she splayed her hands over his chest, his eyes met hers and he could see that she wasn't being mean or fussy. She meant was she said and she wasn't reflecting any animosity. Just a preference... less is more, when it came to decor. He wasn't used to this kind of witch and it would take some getting used to.

'I see.' he answered in a low voice, pinching his lips while he thought. 'So, none of this counts in your mind? It doesn't influence your mindset... doesn't put you in any kind of mood?'

'It makes me giggle, if you don't mind me saying. It looks like something from a Muggle romance novel. I've grown out of these silly games; I really prefer to get to know the gentleman that I'm with. That usually puts me in the proper mindset.' She smiled up at him, letting one of her fingers move silkily along his jaw line. Her eyes held a distinctive note, her lust building up again as she stood so close to him.

Lucius breathed in slowly, coming to grips with his conflicting feelings. His ego, slightly bruised by her rebuff, was not enjoying the whole experience. But on the other hand, he felt her silent call for some closeness. The heat emanating from her body was already awakening his own senses. Deciding to put his ego aside for the evening, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a bruising kiss.

Katherine responded in kind, letting him enter her mouth with as much enthusiasm and hunger that he was displaying. Her hands went to his head, pulling him even closer, trying to deepen the kiss.

He groaned lustfully in her mouth as he felt her nails scraping the sensitive skin at his nape. The sensual tension mounted as every kiss, nip and frenzied swipe of a tongue from either party, contributed to the heady feelings that were being established.

'Katherine... please.' Lucius panted, his lips glistening with their saliva. (lol)

Katherine nodded and followed him to the _maharajah_ bed. Her eyes twinkled as she reached up to unclasp his cloak and unbutton his waistcoat. 'Finally... I get to see what's under all this expensive cloth.' She grinned evilly at him.

'Indeed you do, my little rani. And I do intend to see for myself what you hide under those dreadfully dark cloaks that you wear at work. Shall I be surprised?' he ask coyly under his breath, letting her unbutton everything she desired.

'Maybe so... or not. Depends on your past experiences. I'm not the most exotic dresser, but I like a few pretty things on me. You be the judge.' When she finally had removed all that he wore from the waist up, she came closer to lay a few light kisses along his collarbone. 'Yummy...' she groaned in low-pitched tones.

Lucius let her investigate his upper body, closing his eyes to appreciate the sensations. Slow passes of her warm tongue, sharp nips and gentle bites followed feather light kisses over most of his torso, neck and face. She was a thorough and exuberant partner, never giving him a chance to touch her in exchange.

'No. Let me explore' she had directed, 'I do love a man that can abandon himself to me. It's a bit of a turn on...' she had finished with purr before she took his mouth again.

When her hands reached for his belt buckle, he grabbed her hands away with a smirk. 'Tit for tat, I need to see some of your delectable forms too, before I can allow you to continue. If you don't mind, of course.' A dangerous look came to his eyes, making him look almost fiendish.

'Oh, aren't we a bad boy! Show me what you can do. If I like, you get a prize...' Katherine said huskily.

Pulling her closer to the bed, he undid the ties that held the top of her dress, his eyes feasting on the delicate flesh that he uncovered as he swept the dress away from her shoulders. Her breasts, ample and full, were gently cradled in a purple satin creation, trimmed with delicate lace. The contrast of the dark fabric on her white skin was quite eye catching.

Reaching up with both hands, he took each breast within his palms before pressing his lips and face into the soft mounds, pushing them closely to each other. The aroma of her perfume was light and musky, making the experience even more intoxicating.

Katherine threaded her fingers through his silky mane, eyes half-opened as she let him have his way. Her breaths became shallow and irregular when she felt him release her chest from the confines of her bra, seeing the tiny scrap of near nothingness go flying across the room. She smiled as she heard him murmur softly next to her skin, words almost swallowed as he suckled and licked his way across both breasts.

When he bit her lightly, he heard the sharp moan that escaped her mouth, making him repeat the move on her left breast. Again, the sharp intake of a breath followed by a low moan. She was doing her darndest not to yank his hair out, as her grip stiffened in response. 'Lucius...' she breathed between her slightly parted lips.

'Katherine...' he said as his hands removed what was left of her dress, letting it fall in a puddle at her feet. She shuddered as she felt the cool air hit what had been well covered before. But soon after, her shudders were altered to soft whimpers of want. He had lowered her to the bed after hastily removing his pants and shoes, coming to kneel between her legs.

'Come here, Master Malfoy. I have a few things I'd like to show you.' With that, she took one of the cushions and removed its cover. Lucius's brows shot up as he saw her summon her wand and delicately cut the pillow case into long thin strips with strategic passes of _Diffindo_.

'And what do you intend to do with those things?' he asked coyly, liking where this evening was going.

She pointed her wand at him and whispered something. Lucius floated up in the air and was delicately positioned in the middle of the bed. With a quick swish of her wand, the satin strips were firmly attached to his wrists. 'Any questions?' she asked with a smile, twirling the other two strips between her fingers.

Lucius just smirked, 'no, none what so ever.' His eyes sparkled as he saw her put her wand away and turn back to him, licking her lips with a look of innocence.

'Now...where were we?' she said smoothly, running her hand over his stomach in small concentric circles.

'I'm yours to discover, my pet. Do as your whims carry you.' He groaned after that, as she lowered her hands further down his quivering flesh. (I had to say it... so OC, but what the heck!)

* * *

Author's note: Very un-Lucius like... but its a romance, not a DE meeting! Katherine is getting slightly kinky and he likes it, he likes it! 

Please read and review... my little heart hungers for some reviews. (cough... that is the end of my begging scene) :D


	17. Chapter 17

**Malfoy's desires**

**Chapter seventeen: When the cold facts are there to be seen. **

All names and places associated to Harry Potter belong to JKRowling and associates. I'm just borrowing its world for fun… no money is to be made from this.

The evening and ensuing night was filled with the most passionate expressions of lust. If Lucius had any reserves about the woman's capacity to fulfill his desires, he had been delightfully surprised. Her hunger for more had kept him more than occupied. He had met his match, well... almost.

Between bouts of furious and actives carnal exchanges, they had spoken to each other about their personal fantasies, especially the ones they had yet to engage in. Katherine's ideal scenario involved an elaborate montage involving masks, several men that she knew... no talking allowed. Lucius could readily imagine it in his mind. He had smirked while thinking of her in the throws of passion, well aided by three most willing wizards. To say that she enjoyed commanding during their little trysts was a weak comparison to what he had gone through in the past few hours. He had been a willing participant, exploring the depths of her need to dominate her lover.

Lucius had been uncharacteristically well behaved in this respect, since he usually dominated any sexual encounters he had had in the past. But after a few hours of rest in the wee hours of the night, he had awoken with a devilish plan of his own. Carefully getting up from the bed, doing his utmost not to wake his new found partner. After donning his black velvet dressing gown, he had left the room quietly.

Returning with a few things from his personal 'pleasure room', with a swish of his wand and a few murmured words, he had once again changed the decor to something that suited his whim. Gone were the meters and meters of lacy drapes, replaced by darkened walls and a few rod iron sconces to light the place. With a few more touches, the room was suitably dark and eerie.

His penchant for sadistic ministering had to be curbed somewhat, since his lover had expressed a loathing for anything that could be painful. So any blood rituals were really out of the question... _Pity_, he thought silently as he studied her sleeping form. She had the prettiest neck and wrists to fulfill his dark desires. He would eventually get her to try his Dark Arts fantasy. But not during this visit.

Katherine woke some time after that, stretching her limbs leisurely while letting a yawn escape her lips. Her eyes were still closed as she started to smile, thinking of the lovely time she had passed with the master of the mansion. Her hand stretched out toward his side of the bed, expecting to feel the warmth of his skin. When she only met the cool of the satin sheets with her fingertips, her eyes popped open as she turned her head to see where he had gone.

'Aww, my dearest has awoken from her deep slumber.' Lucius said from one of the darkened corners, his low baritone voice almost growling at her. 'Sleep well, my little tigress?' he chuckled on behind his pure white mask.

Katherine strained her eyes to try to see where his voice was coming from. Of course she had noticed the odd new decor but thought she'd mention it later on. 'Lucius? What are you doing? Where are you?' she said in quick succession, wondering what he had planned now.

'Over here.' he murmured softly as he took his wand out once again. He flicked it once and had dressed her in a long black bustier gown, cinched in all the right places.

Katherine gasped as she felt the cool fabric apparate next to her skin, giving her a slight thrill as the goose bumps ran across her body. She got off the bed to inspect the lovely new gown she was sporting, wondering again what he had in store. 'This is lovely.' she said as her hands ran over her waist and hips to smooth the silken fabric over her forms.

Lucius eyed her intently from the relative darkness of his corner niche. His senses were alive with the many thoughts of things he would do to her. Her skin glowed next the dark material of the gown, the low lights castings the most sensual shadows around her face and bosom. He licked his thin lips in anticipation, 'you are beautiful in that dress. It's quite becoming on you, my pet.'

Katherine shot him an impish smile as she said, 'hmm... so I'm only pretty because of this dress?' She couldn't resist making a joke about it since she had never found herself particularly pretty in anything she wore. Her insecurities about herself and what she looked like were finally shinning through. She paled a bit, berating herself for showing such abject humility in front of him.

'No, I would never say that about you. Clothed or not, you are quite delicious to behold in any man's eye.' he said cautiously but with a note of gentleness. He didn't want to make her feel wretched about herself, seeing that he had other experiments he wanted to conclude with her. Her self-confidence was an important ingredient to make this little trip of his a success.

She smiled at him, happy that he enjoyed her instead of the dress. She wasn't conceited in any way, but her self-doubt had just been washed away with a few well-placed words of praise and encouragement. 'Thank you for saying that! I'm happy that you...' she couldn't finish the sentence, feeling a bit embarrassed about how conceited it all sounded in her mind.

Lucius came forward, his black cloak rustling softly as he walked toward her. Katherine finally saw him, mask and all, giving her the first glimpse of his dark persona. She had never envisioned him this way and it caused quite a tremor of fear mixed with a healthy dose of awe. He looked simply smashing to her. He was dark, elegant, dangerous... and totally desirable. This vision of him was making her feel very lustful.

'Lucius, this is so... where did you get that mask? It looks like the ones that the Death Eaters wear.' she said without thinking, until the realization of what her words could mean hit her like well applied blasting curse. She blanched as her words sank further in her consciousness, making her feel weak and faintly. She shook her head gently, it couldn't be so...

Lucius saw the girl sway a little and took the last few steps to grip her arms before she could fall. Through his mask, he looked at her face as an assortment of thoughts and feelings passed over her features. He would wait till she spoke again before committing himself either way. He wouldn't confirm her beliefs or deny them out rightly.

Katherine snapped out of her daze, looking up at the masked man before her. Her lips parted, seemingly wanting to say something. She was confused by all of it. Had she slept with a Death Eater?

Lucius spoke to her in his most poised and controlled voice. 'Katherine, are you feeling ill? You seem to have gone deathly pale for a moment there.' He ran his hands up and down her bared arms.

'No, I'm not ill. I'm just a bit surprised and...' what could she possibly say to him. _'Sorry, but I don't usually date Voldemort's followers _or maybe, _Death Eaters are not my thing_... For Merlin's sake, what had she done? Then her thoughts went to Arthur and the ministry. Her heart sank at what could be said about her dubious liaison with him.

He kept his grip on her a bit longer, wondering what was possibly going through her mind. Since she wasn't exactly looking into his eyes, he could only conclude that his little ill-conceived scenario would be his downfall with the pretty Miss Cardiff. She would probably try to bolt out of the manor in an instant if he didn't keep her within his reach.

Keeping one hand on her arm, his other hand reached up to pull off the mask and discreetly pocketed the offending article. He pushed back a few locks of hair that had come undone when he had removed the mask, and then peered down at her pale face. What would he do now?


End file.
